East of Toyama
by TheGoddamazon
Summary: A remake of "Ronin Angel Saga", which I find is vastly improved compared to my idea from before. It's a story of two forces meeting, and what happens when they learn the Dynasty has been trying to extend their boundaries beyond the world.
1. Collision Course

**Author's Note & Disclaimer:** In a moment of boredom while stuck in the middle of nowhere abroad, I decided to revisit some old fandoms, and as a result wound up inadvertently revising most if not all of my old fanfics. While I think fanfiction is silly, now, I miss writing in general and the days of living vicariously through my characters. So in the spirit of nostalgia, I'm going to continue pecking at the bread loaf of fanfiction, as it is a harmless pastime when done properly. And per usual, my disclaimer is I do not own Ronin Warriors, and at one point I really wanted to, but I have the entire DVD boxed set so I kind of already do, eh? I had to go and re-watch all of my anime (what a nostalgic,_ lonely_ affair that was) just so I could make sure I got certain facts in the fandom right.

**East of Toyama**  
**By Shadovar**

"You know, I can almost see why whoever owned this armor before us isn't around any longer. These Dynasty punks do _not _quit." This was said through gritted teeth, overlain by the sound of grinding metal against metal as Kento forced another Dynasty foot soldier back, right into the spire of Seiji's blade. Black smoke seeped through the gaps in the empty armor as what was left of the warrior's soul dissipated in the already polluted night air. The Dynasty had been in Toyama for almost a month, and the Ronin Warriors could no longer tell if they were fighting to bring back the sun or just fighting to save what was left of the ruins of the city. They had no way of knowing if the Dynasty's unending night had encapsulated the rest of Japan…or the entire world.

All they knew was that they were all that stood between the destruction and the destroyer.

Seiji stumbled, and Ryo's katana bisected two soldiers who had been closing in to take advantage of the sudden slip. The numbers were endless, sweat and blood stung their eyes, and despite the natural enhancements of their mystical armor, they were beginning to feel the toll of fatigue on their bodies. After all, the ones who possessed this armor before them had been trained to wear it…they had been chosen, and not entirely of their own free will.

"Ah shit! Is there no end to them?" Rowen cried, providing long-range fire, as his arrows never depleted…but his magic did. He'd used the Shock Wave three times, and yet they were being overrun. Kento's Rock Crusher had done considerable damage, but in the end it only looked as if he'd caused more destruction to the city than to the army that was now pressing in from all sides.

It looked like there was no reaching Talpa's castle, which seemed so goddamned close three weeks ago. The Dark Warlords hadn't even had to come out…they'd merely sent their soldiers in to wear down on the band. All they had to do was come in and finish the job.

Ryo cried out as he was forced to a knee under the weight of nearly six soldiers twice his size. In a rush, his companions came to his aid, but they were too run down for another adrenaline rush. Sai found himself thrown far and wide, crashing into the wreckage of what used to be a parked car.

That's when the Sukufanians showed up. The Ronins had no idea who they were at the time, but when the shock of purple lightning came rocketing out of the dark, murky sky, it turned the odds in their favor. Rowen wasn't sure if this new force was friend or foe, but he breathed a sigh of relief just the same and came down from his place above his friends. The blast had cleared the bulk of the army, but they were still severely outnumbered.

Now, the ground beneath their feet began to rumble and a pair of hands, large and made from the very earth beneath them, reached up and clasped more Dynasty foot soldiers, crushing them as one would an insect. The hands dissolved into dust, leaving pieces of armor in its wake. The remaining soldiers began to scatter, but not before flames reached up to engulf them. Armor melted, and Ryo swore he heard cries of anguish from the melting, twisting heap. The Ronins stood, catching a much needed breath, but still wary for this new, unknown force that had aided them—likely in order to destroy them.

"Another Dynasty trick?" Seiji asked, echoing their thoughts aloud. Ryo frowned, ignoring the bead of sweat that tickled his face.

"I think we're about to find out." He murmured.

"Hardly a Dynasty trick…unless they've stooped to robbing Sukufan's cradles after we drove them off." A new voice—clearly female—sneered. From the dust and wreckage, five figures emerged. They wore armor, but it was strange and very unlike a type of armor they recognized. It closely resembled leather but there was a metallic shine to it that belied its resistance to blade and magic alike. As the Ronins faced this new unlikely ally, they didn't relax. They'd been on edge for an entire month; they had no cause to let up just because someone had lent a hand. The five warriors were all female, and they were all attractive at varying degrees, but each looked alien in their own way.

One had a shocking head full of fiery red hair, and a matching set of eyes that resembled the magma of a volcano. She wore a sardonic smile and from above her slender shoulders Ryo noted the hilts of two swords. Another was tall and imposing, wearing a scowl that Ryo realized was a result of an ugly scar that crossed over her face and split the corner of one lip. Her hair was long, and the color of the lightning he'd seen destroy the Dynasty soldiers earlier. She had been the one who had spoken. She stood beside a younger, friendlier looking woman who looked like a mermaid…well, not a mermaid exactly, but she was clearly sea-born from the bluish-green scales he saw on her exposed throat and on her temples. Her hair resembled a tangle of seaweed…if seaweed could be combed. Her skin was a sun-kissed brown, and her eyes were teal. She smiled at all of them as if she wanted nothing more than to kiss them. The last two were standing next to each other…one was blonde; no, blonde didn't do her hair justice. It was like her hair was made of sunlight, but the Ronins ignored her hair because her eyes were fucking scary. Reptilian didn't do them justice. And she didn't blink like a normal person...a film, like the shutter in a camera, passed over both eyes in quick succession and Ryo suppressed a shudder. If not for those eyes, she might have passed for a really hot blonde. The last was a runt; wispy, with hair as black as the heart of the Dynasty and eyes the color of…what kind of green would describe them. They were very startling. Her skin was like fresh cream and peaches, and she looked unsure of herself, as if this were her first visit to Japan.

_Or Earth_. Ryo thought wryly.

"Who are you guys?" He demanded, wondering which one was the leader of this strange band. He was tired and had gotten on average four hours of fitful sleep each week, and here he was being rescued by these fresh-faced alien supermodels…except the one with the scar. She looked like she was ready to throw down in the ring with the best of them…and then she snorted again, more derisive than when she'd first addressed them.

"We're your allies," the runt said, stepping forward and Ryo saw the surprise on his friends' faces. She was the leader?

"We came here on a mission to stop the Dynasty from doing to this world what they tried to do to ours." She continued. Her voice, despite her uncertain demeanor, was very determined, confident, and assuring. Ryo afforded her a begrudging respect.

"Well, thanks for your help but we've got it under control." Seiji said with all of his usual arrogance.

"Any more control before we showed up and you'd all be dead." The scarred one said with a harsh laugh. Seiji tensed visibly but the runt didn't waver in her peacemaking mission.

"Look, we know you guys are the chosen protectors of this world…you're wearing the armor, which is clear enough," she said, forcing Ryo to pay attention to her again. He had been on the verge of agreeing with Seiji but the fact that these women knew about the Dynasty and the properties of their armor had his curiosity piqued.

"How do we know you're not some Dynasty minions sent to lure us in to a trap?" Rowen asked.

"Same reason you know we aren't, Rowen of Strata," the runt said firmly. Silence from both sides and Rowen nodded. It made sense. The Dynasty wouldn't send fresh faces in to finish off the Ronins when the Warlords were perfectly hale and fit to do that. Even so, he wasn't ready to trust this new bit of luck just yet.

"Okay, so say we believe you…what exactly brought you all the way out here to fight the Dynasty…and what took you so long? They've been here for a month and you guys are just now showing up. Sounds fishy to me." Ryo said at last. The red head chuckled.

"Travel to this world is most difficult. While we are powerful on our own world, our powers were drained considerably just getting here and then in helping you all. As of now, the most we can do is fight by your side."

"As well we should," the runt picked up, "because what does it matter if we are with you or not? We share a mutual goal: stopping the Dynasty. And let's face it, neither of us can do it alone, as you have clearly seen for yourself. They outnumber us, but together I think we can outclass them."

Ryo decided he liked where this was going.

"So what are your names?" Sai asked later as the group holed up in an abandoned hotel. It was one of the few buildings that wasn't too badly damaged by the Dynasty's arrival, and it was easy enough to get the group, along with Mia and Yulie, into rooms close by each other. They'd scrounged up enough food for the night and Mia was a decent enough cook that their meager fare went down easy.

"Well, my name is Greyoko; Greyoko Matsuri. Raimei is the one with purple hair and the fiercest warrior among us, Netsui is the one with red hair…she's a genius, and there's no where she can't make a portal. Hm…" Greyoko chewed a piece of stewed beef thoughtfully, "that's Mayu the blonde…she's not much of a talker. And that is Tonyamii. At least, that's the name we've given her here on your world. You couldn't possibly pronounce her real name."

"Why ever not?" Sai asked, perplexed. Greyoko laughed as if he'd just asked a rhetorical question.

"You only have one tongue in your mouth!" Sai's expression only made her laugh harder.

Ryo shook his head, crossing his arms as he peered out of the window. Talpa's castle floated in the distance, giving off that sickly glow since all the lights in the city had been killed. Netsui had been gracious enough to start a fire to keep them all warm since the darkness had made the city unnaturally cold. Once everyone had finished eating, they made preparations for the first watch and to sleep. Yulie was already fast asleep in Mia's lap. Raimei and Kento offered to take the first watch with Rowen, while the others slept.

Their bodies told them it should have been daybreak, but outside the darkness pervaded as if it were still the middle of the night. The city was a veritable ghost town, the people taken prisoner in Talpa's castle for gods-knew-what, and as the Ronins and Sukufan Warriors emerged from the hotel, they agreed that Mia and Yulie should stay hidden lest they get underfoot, but none of the Ronins felt comfortable making tracks and leaving them in the abandoned hotel building while they went headlong into danger. The Sukufanians didn't see what the big deal was, as the boy and girl alike weren't of much use to them, but Ryo argued that they would come along regardless.

"They'll only slow us down," Raimei said contemptuously. "They have neither weapons nor skills in combat. They'll be killed in the next skirmish." Ryo turned on her.

"Mia happens to know more about the Dynasty than anyone, and we've promised to keep them safe. We don't go back on our word." He snapped. Raimei smiled coldly, making the scar that uglied her face more pronounced.

"Oh really? And what good will you be to anyone when you get killed trying to protect these handicaps? If we leave them holed up somewhere where they cannot be seen we will accomplish more. It is merely common sense."

"Just because it makes sense doesn't mean it's always right," Seiji said quietly. "They go. If they get underfoot, it's our job to deal with it, not yours." And that was that. For a moment, the tension was eased, but the group continued in silence for a while, making their way to Talpa's castle, which seemed always too far away to actually be in the city. The Sukufanians were able to keep up with the Ronins, and neither group made any small talk on the way, save Yulie, who prattled on about how his parents used to take him to this store or that restaurant; places that held memories he had taken for granted, were now precious to him when he saw the hollowed husks of what used to be shopping malls, restaurants, and boutiques. Neither group had the heart to tell him to shut up—even Raimei wasn't that callous.

They traveled for three hours without incident, until Anubis appeared.

And oh what and entrance he made.

Greyoko cried out in genuine surprise, skidding to a halt as a chain tore out of the ground before her, snaking around her ankle and dragging her clear off of her feet. She flailed like a rag doll before any of her companions could catch her.

"Greyoko, your sword! Gods be damned use your blade!" Raimei thundered, and Greyoko grappled to wrench her sword out of its sheath, but a second chain wrapped around her wrist. Her sword fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Help!" She cried. Rowen notched an arrow and let it fly. The chain that held her ankle snapped and Greyoko plummeted toward the ground. Leaping, Seiji cut the other chain and wrapped his free arm around her waist, landing lightly on the ground. Greyoko looked visibly shaken.

"Thanks." She said, but before Seiji could reply, more chains came to replace the ones they'd destroyed. Anubis' power rivaled that of the Ronins, and because they were new to their armors' capabilities and the Warlords had been wearing and using theirs for centuries, Anubis had more tactics to use against them all than they had to defend against. Greyoko retrieved her sword, and the tangle of chains became thick until they lost their footing, becoming hopelessly entangled. Anubis' laughter pervaded as he finally emerged. Beneath his helmet, his teal eyes glimmered with cruel mirth, and his kurasi-gama's blade gleamed as the warriors struggled to get enough force to break the chains and regain their footing.

"If this is the best you lot have, then I don't see why Talpa is wasting his time trying to destroy you." He sneered. Raimei and Kento seemed to be on the same brain wave, and she snarled at him, while Kento said, "Why not come over here and talk shit? I promise not to hit you too fucking hard." Raimei smirked. She liked the way this boy thought, because she wanted nothing more than to put her fist through the arrogant bastard's skull. Anubis ignored the quip and instead surveyed the captured group. Talpa specifically ordered the deaths of the Sukufanians, who at the moment posed more of a threat than the Ronins, despite the armor. He had tangled with this group before, and they had been formidable; why they were so easily ensnared now stank of a trap to him. Still, better to enjoy the fruits of victory before Talpa began the rest of his conquest. His eyes settled on Greyoko. She had barely been as high as his knee when he tangled with her mother in Sukufan. Now here she was, fresh out of adolescence, with the flush of youth's untouched vitality in her cheeks, and fear in her eyes. He found that he liked her fear.

"So, I see the whelp has grown to try and fill her mother's shoes. What a pity she's not much of a challenge." He prodded at Greyoko's upside down frame, delighting in the fury that welled up in her eyes.

"You're nothing like her. Your mother, at least, put up a good fight before we killed her. She was quite a spitfire in the bedroom, I hear." Greyoko's face began to contort and he saw tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Hey! How about picking on someone your own size!" Ryo shouted, and he worked himself free, cutting his way toward Anubis, who had begun to trace the line of tears with his fingertips. He briefly wondered what those tears would taste like…if her skin was as soft as it looked…and then suddenly he was knocked off his feet.

Apparently, he'd been indulging in his victory prematurely. Ryo's swords came down, and Anubis blocked them. He was much larger than Ryo in his armor, and he backhanded the boy, sending him flying. That was when the battle began.

Ryo was fast, and Rowen figured he was buying time until the rest of them could get free. They did, and Anubis found himself outnumbered…but not completely outclassed. He'd found a weak point in their ranks in Greyoko, and he'd press it until they were crippled. Not to mention the young boy and the human girl. They were traveling handicapped, and all he had to do was devastate them. He aimed for the boy, first, the blade of his kurasi-gama sure to strike true. Surefooted and quick, Sai came to the rescue, deflecting the blade with his staff. Raimei began to prepare to call down her lightning but Netsui stopped her.

"Not here. We can ill afford to deplete ourselves any further." She warned and Raimei begrudgingly halted her summons. Thunder echoed as the gathering energy receded. She drew her sword instead. Anubis called in reinforcements, and Ryo was grimly reminded that no matter what happened, the Dynasty warriors were innumerable, which meant they'd be exhausted enough for the Warlords to finish them off. They'd have nothing to show for all the toil they were enduring. Worse yet, in the crush of armor against armor, Anubis was making his escape, and Greyoko was hot on his heels.

"Princess!" He heard Tonyamii cry out, before she engaged two soldiers with her trident. Ryo didn't have time to be puzzled that Greyoko was a princess, and instead concentrated on the battle before him.

"Your army continues to dwindle!" Greyoko shouted the fury she'd held in check running amuck in her voice. Anubis laughed, glancing over his shoulder to find that despite her wispy body, she was nimble-footed and quick, certainly worthy of the accolades her mother previously won from her enemies. Anubis engaged her atop the rubble of a demolished building. They'd left the others far behind, and it was just the two of them. Greyoko had never engaged the Dynasty before this, but she had been trained to. She could practically hear Raimei shouting at her to plant her footing when locking blades with her opponent. Greyoko was far smaller than Anubis, but his armor was heavy and made him slow…an advantage she took at every opportunity. Greyoko leapt, her knee connecting with Anubis' helm and making him stumble. She tackled him, but he caught her with a laugh, shaking her vigorously until her teeth fair rattled in her skull and her sword slipped from her hand. She wriggled but he held her at bay.

"You were foolish to engage me alone, girl. At least with your friends, you stood of chance of limping away. Now your life will end here." Greyoko glared at him. Anubis felt the very air crackle around them as Greyoko's rage began to build, her green eyes going darker, like a storm gathering. She let out a cry that shook the very sky and Anubis let her go to try and cover his ears. Buildings crumbled and metal rent and twisted, warped by the inhuman sound. Blood trickled from Anubis' nose as the sound became unbearable, and he felt as if his bones would shatter if he endured it any longer. He realized it was only his armor that was protecting him. He vanished, retreating in failure. Greyoko shut her mouth, and the sound echoed throughout the city, and she sagged to her knees, taking in gulps of much-needed air as her mouth went dry. It was the first time she'd channeled her power into her voice, and she was amazed. Her companions caught up with her, the Ronins puzzled at what had just happened, having seen Dynasty soldiers bend and twist in agonizing positions as the sound warped their armor. Blood trickled from Seiji's nose and Raimei was looking at Greyoko's hunched form with a grim satisfaction.

"Where's Anubis?" Ryo asked, sheathing his swords. Greyoko opened her eyes, not realizing she'd closed them. The energy's residual thrumming had finally lessened enough for her to concentrate and be cognizant of her surroundings.

"He retreated." She murmured as Mayu helped her to her feet. Kento let out a low whistle.

"I'd retreat too if I heard a shriek like that. Was that you, kid?" The corner of Greyoko's mouth lifted in a tired smile. Kento chuckled.

"Hell yeah it was you, I knew it. Shit, you girls pack a wallop when you put your mind to it. What else can you girls do?" He asked, but none of the others seemed to share his enthusiasm. Greyoko looked pallid and sick, and Netsui was speaking to her in their native tongue in low tones, pressing her hand against Greyoko's brow. Greyoko nodded occasionally, and muttered some semblance of acquiescence, and Netsui—once satisfied—turned to face the Ronins.

"Greyoko has depleted the last of our collective power," she informed them, "I am afraid that we must rely on our own combat skills from here on until we can find a place to regain our strength."

"And how exactly do you guys 'regain your strength?'" Rowen asked, narrowing his eyes. Netsui met his gaze without blinking.

"Not your concern. We will not be able to use our powers for many of your moons. For now, just know that we'll be using our own weapons against the Dynasty. Unlike your armor, we do not draw our strength from this world. We have not been here long enough to get that kind of permission."

"Permission? Say what?" Ryo asked. Netsui looked ready to explain but Raimei cut in.

"You know enough." She said fiercely. Rowen frowned.

"Look, if you expect us to work as a team, we can't afford any surprises or secrets from people who are supposed to be our allies." He said. Raimei looked as if her rage was about to tear her skin off, but Rowen was fearless in the face of her indignation. Greyoko spoke up, albeit weakly.

"Don't. It's alright. We can tell them the truth. They'd never do us harm." The other Sukufanians seemed reluctant, but Netsui inclined her head.

"Very well, I will tell them everything. Including why we're really here."


	2. A Day Ahead

**Author's Note:** Before you read, please note that the characters within the storyt exaggerate the powers Ansequia possesses. This is based off of legend and folklore of both sets of characters which is not unlike a game of "Telephone".

**East of Toyama  
****By Shadovar**

"You're a princess?" Sai asked, genuinely surprised. Ryo was the only one who was only mildly surprised; he'd heard Tonyamii address Greyoko with the honorific. They were underground, now, and Netsui had provided a fire for them to sit around, and slowly spun out the tale of how they had come to Earth.

"We're from the Illiyan Realms, and our kingdom is just one of many that comprise it. The Dynasty attacked us, and we managed to drive them back, but not before they had slain our queen…and stolen the royal heir." Rowen saw Greyoko visibly flinch at that. So she was the second-born; expendable…until the first-born had been taken away.

"Ansequia was taken into the Dynasty and from thence she was trained to be one of them. The queen made us swear to bring her back before she died, and to protect Greyoko. We have tracked the Dynasty for quite some time, until they arrived here." At this, Mia spoke up.

"The legends don't say anything about that. I was always under the impression that the Dynasty was part of dark Japanese folklore." Raimei gave the woman cold smile.

"Naturally. They are rooted in your country's folklore, but that did not stop them from wanting to expand their boundaries. They have been robbing cradles since their inception, and when they traveled across worlds to ours, they found Ansequia a promising warrior because of her powers. You see, the royal line in our world is gifted with the Divine Spark, which makes them powerful enough to protect their kingdom from most foes. Once they realized this, they sought to wipe out the royal family…but they took Ansequia."

"And so I've been training to come and rescue her."

"I'd wager it was Ansequia who managed to open a portal stable enough to let the Dynasty come back to your world without incident." Raimei said casually. Mia's eyes widened.

"She's that powerful?" She whispered, fearful. Netsui nodded.

"She could devour this world if she wished. And unlike the rest of us, she does not need to be grounded in a world to recharge her strength. But I think Talpa has her under control somehow."

"No," Greyoko said and everyone looked at her, "he's not controlling her. She's resented us for a long while. You all weren't there when they stormed the palace. She could have stopped them, but she willingly went with them. I saw it." Greyoko covered her face with her hands. "She said she would rather be someone respected for her power than be forced to demean herself for the commoners of Sukufan. She said I could have the throne…she'd take everything else." For a while, the others gaped at her in disbelief. Greyoko looked up, angry tears in her eyes.

"We have to kill her! She was a rotten seed from the start, not even fully Sukufanian! She wasn't stolen! She betrayed us and I wish you'd all stop acting like she's some kind of innocent victim in all of this." Greyoko got up and angrily stormed off, embarrassed that she'd almost started crying in front of these men who would never understand that Ansequia was not the true heir…not in her heart. She was a monster; always had been, and always would be. Talpa would not have been able to control her if he wanted to—but since the scaffolding was already in place for evil, all he had to do was cater to it and nurture it to fruition. Greyoko emerged from the abandoned subway into the murky night. She was powerful enough to fight if she got caught unawares, but what she was not expecting was the Warlord of Cruelty.

"Back for a second round?" She demanded, trying to keep from sniffling. Too late. Anubis chuckled.

"I admit, you had me surprised when you unleashed your power like that. But I'd wager you cannot do it a second time…or ever again so far from home." Anubis' kurasi-gama jingled in the night air as he approached. Greyoko tensed, shifting her stance as she drew her sword. Before Anubis could attack there was the tell-tale jingle of the Mystic Staff as it pierced the ground between them. Greyoko, though not of this world, felt the purifying effect it had and Anubis shielded his eyes from the light. The Ancient, whose name remained a mystery, approached, collecting his staff.

"You would do well not to engage him alone, Young Guardian," he said, his voice echoing with the power he possessed. Greyoko hesitated.

"I can beat him!" But her conviction was considerably lacking. Anubis snarled and she could see the dried blood from a split lip. He had been punished for failure.

"You would do well not to interfere, you miserable old fool!" Anubis cried out but the brightness of the monk kept him from advancing any further. Resolute despite his blindness, the Ancient tapped his staff firmly, and Greyoko was dimly aware of some of her strength returning. She didn't feel as weary.

"You have been too long out of the light, Anubis," The Ancient proclaimed, "you will not last long against me…even now the girl regains her devastating power. How will you fare when I release my hold on you?" Anubis did not reply, and retreated, his curse echoing through the desolate streets. The Ancient glanced over his shoulder, his sightless eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat.

"Erase the spite for your mission from your heart. You will need faith and conviction for the trials to come." He said, and before Greyoko could thank him, he was gone, the jingle of his staff a distant echo. She turned and headed back to her friends.

**That is not once but twice you have failed me, Anubis.** Talpa's voice grated in its raspy tone. Anubis and the other Warlords kneeled before him, though Anubis was the only one not smirking. Talpa's ghostly image was expressionless, as it was merely a helm of armor. It was part of what made him so terrifying—the fact that no one knew the evil that lurked beneath that helm. Anubis gritted his teeth.

"I was set upon by the Ancient, Master Talpa," Anubis reasoned, "his power if formidable, and he has revealed that the Sukufanians can draw strength from him. 'Tis better I report this to you rather than risk being destroyed."

"They would not have destroyed you, fool," Dayus chimed in, "the Ancient's aim is not to kill. And you mean to tell us you were afraid to engage one small child-warrior?" Anubis glared over his shoulder at his comrade-at-arms, who was less a comrade and more of a competitor.

"That child is of the Royal Line, much like _she _is." They all knew whom he spoke of; the one imprisoned in the Netherworld; the heir of Sukufan, and the only reason they had been able to break the barrier erected by Hariel and return to Earth. Talpa laughed.

**The runt has grown into her own, has she? **He mused slowly.**How fitting, but her power is no where near as devastating as her sister's. And the Ronins must be well-aware of the situation by now. They will be moving upon the castle…expecting to rescue a princess, only to find she is not even here.** Talpa was no fool. He had put Ansequia in slumber in the Netherworld, harnessing her power when needed, but keeping her deeply entrenched in an unending sleep in a lavish tomb decorated with the most powerful spells of binding. She had served him on a whim as a warrior in the past, but her powers were uncontrollable...and she had become _tainted_. He could not hone her into the weapon he wanted, and he needed the Ronins' armors more than he needed her power. He was tied to the armors more than anything, and those suits were the only reason he was here.

**Very well, Anubis. I will forego punishment for now. You make a valid argument. Let our enemies come to us if they feel it will turn the tide. I trust the four of you together can handle that weak ragtag band of children? **The Warlords acceded in unison and it was settled. All save for Anubis, who could not quell the newfound restlessness in his heart and mind. He slept, and dreamed of black hair and green eyes, and a powerful shriek that shook the very foundations of of his being.

"You guys are more mixed up in this Dynasty business than we are. What can you tell us about the armor?" Ryo asked as the group stopped to rest. Rowen, as usual, covered the rear alongside Raimei. Greyoko was unusually silent, and her normally chipper behavior was dulled by whatever mood their story had put her in. Netsui was chewing on what appeared to be beef jerky.

"It is not my place to tell you the origin of your armor—nor why it chose the five of you," she said as Ryo opened his mouth to press for further explanation. "We know its origins lie here, and that they were crafted for use by the forces of good."

"What about the Warlords? They wear similar armor, and they're as evil as evil gets." Kento challenged. Netsui nodded, unlacing one of her arm braces to rub at the skin that itched beneath.

"Even a weapon crafted for good can be corrupted when used by evil. If their armor is anything like yours, then it has been corrupted. That much I can say with certainty." Ryo smiled.

"You mean to say that the Warlords could be good guys?" Yulie asked as Netsui tightened the laces on her arm brace with a grunt. The fire-haired woman smiled, her cat-like eyes crinkling at the corners.

"They are not Dynasty-spawned, like the drones we fight on a daily basis. Only flesh can wear that armor. Whatever they are, they were not always minions of Talpa."

"No one's ever lived long enough to see their faces, I'm guessing." Seiji said pragmatically. At Netsui's silence, they knew this to be true.

"Would you want to?" Greyoko asked suddenly. They looked at her. "I mean to say, would you want to look into the face of evil and what it does to once-good men? Would you have the courage to look into the dark mirror that could be you if you lost conviction?"

"What's got you so philosophical all of a sudden?" Sai asked and Greyoko fixed him with a stare.

"It's a legitimate question," she said quietly, "would you be able to look the Warlords in the face and witness what the Dynasty is capable of doing to people who were probably once good and pure?"

"If that is so, Young Guardian, then it can be argued that the Warlords were never truly pure at all? Evil cannot blossom where the seed had not already been planted. You should know this better than anyone." All heads turned, and there were several hisses of steel as weapons were drawn and a formation was formed to ready for the next attack. The tell-tale jingle of the staff of the Ancient did little to calm their wary mood, but Greyoko, having been saved by the monk once, was more relaxed.

"Here to give us good news I hope…" She muttered. Ryo relaxed, and the others followed suit.

"I am here to guide you. I am forbidden to do violence." The Ancient said, his voice grave, even with the echoes of power in it. Greyoko saw Ryo's shoulders slump a little. He had been hoping for some relief—or a miracle. They all had, really, but instead it was just some pacifist monk who likely spoke in riddles. Greyoko didn't begrudge him a single shred of his disappointment.

"Well? I hope you can tell us how to beat the Dynasty because things aren't looking too good right now." The Ancient was silent a moment as he surveyed the group, lingering on the Ronins for a span that had the warriors shifting uncomfortably.

"You are not ready to go against Talpa." He said finally to the dissent of both groups, save Raimei, who assumed none save she were ready to pit their skills against the likes of the Dynasty.

"How do we prepare for such a thing?" Sai asked, his voice gentle, but the lingering note of doubt was echoed in all their expressions.

"Your armor chose you, but you do not treat it as it should be treated, and as such, you have not learned to harness the full potential of your powers," He stilled their protests with a raised hand. "And you Sukufan Warriors have not learned to give this world the respect it deserves, and as such you can not draw power from it and will continue to weaken if you do not open your hearts to the wealth of power beneath your feet." Greyoko looked startled, Netsui looked intrigued, and Raimei looked offended.

"Who are you to speak on matters of which you know little old ma—" She started forward, fist raised, but Greyoko grasped her arm to still her.

"He's right." She said softly. "We…we draw our powers from the very soil of Sukufan…and because we believe no other Source could compare to it, we have closed ourselves off to one that could strengthen us enough to aid the Ronins in their quest." She released Raimei slowly, fixing the Ancient with a measured gaze. "Isn't that right?"

The Ancient smiled. "You are learning quickly, for one so young. It is so. You—like the Ronins—draw your powers from the elements upon which your powers based. You," he looked from Netsui to Ryo, "harness the power of fire in your very nature, but neither of you has reached full potential because you are reluctant to let yourselves be taught." The Ancient smiled when Netsui squirmed uncomfortably. The Sukufan Warriors were arrogant, and as a result they'd lost time.

"You two, Mayu; Kento of Hardrock…you draw your powers from the earth. Sage of the Halo and Raimei; your power comes from light itself. Sai of the Torrent and Tonyamii draw their strength from the water, and if they harness their power, could call down the very seas to drown their opponents." His eyes settled on Greyoko and Rowen. "Rowen draws his power from the air, which is why when Talpa split the Ronins apart, he was sent beyond your reach. Greyoko…your power is altogether different." The Ancient stepped forward, tapping her breastplate with a finger.

"You carry the divine spark of your goddess within you, unlike your comrades, who are merely shards of her being, am I right?" Greyoko nodded. "Even so. Your goddess draws her power from the dark and the light…and you, Greyoko must discover which you will allow to draw you." Greyoko had expected a simplistic explanation, not more bad news. She could replenish the source of her powers, but she needed to decide to be good or evil to do it…and that was easy which one she wanted to pick.

"Is that it? We just have to channel our powers and we can beat Talpa?" Kento asked. The Ancient did not answer, and merely walked away, disappearing into the shadows, the chiming of his staff doing little to lift the spirits of the motley band of heroes.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not going all the way into fucking space to get a second wind." Rowen said irritably.

How long had they been fighting? Always it was the same, always it was different. They had tangled with all of the Dark Warlords, had defeated them countless times, and Anubis had grown stronger, driven mad by Talpa's extra boost of energy, and Rowen had fired an arrow, cracking the helm of Anubis' armor and revealing the man beneath.

The _man_.

Both groups couldn't quite believe it, even as Anubis lay unconscious before him.

"Let's finish him off before he has a chance to get up." Raimei snarled, lifting her blade for a killing blow.

"No!" The Ancient's voice crackled with power and Raimei was startled, lowering her blade slowly. "He is human, and he wears the same armor you Ronins wear. He is not so different from the sister you are trying to save, Greyoko."

"Not trying to save her." Greyoko muttered, more to herself than to the monk. She did not take her eyes off of Anubis. He was a man beneath the monstrous armor he wore. He had long auburn hair, and while unconscious, he looked as harmless as a young boy. He was no older than any of the Ronins, but he had been a slave to Talpa's power for millennia. Greyoko wondered how fine that hair would weave between her fingers, and immediately berated herself for even considering such a thing. This was a man who had relished the taste of her tears—tears he had evoked with his cruelty. Anubis stirred, and all warriors were instantly on guard. The Ancient halted them.

"I will speak with him a moment." The Ancient said, and when Ryo and Rowen moved to protest, weapons still at the ready, the Ancient explained that Anubis deserved a chance at redemption. He was just as much a victim of Talpa's evil as any of them, likely more so. The warriors retreated, and for a while, it seemed as if hope was possible. Greyoko returned, however, finding Anubis standing over the water, as if trying to make sense of the man reflected in it.

"It's hard to believe isn't it?" She asked and Anubis' head turned sharply, startling her. His eyes were teal. Almost green, but he looked so…there was something intense about him. Perhaps it was the graceful arches of his brow…Greyoko shook her head, clearing her throat.

"So is it safe to say you're not working for the Dynasty anymore?" She asked him. Anubis looked pained, and returned to glaring at his reflection. Greyoko sighed. They didn't have time to help Anubis sort out his loyalties, but she was trying to be diplomatic. The others weren't even trying to be that much.

"All my life, I have served my masters with loyalty. Before Talpa it was a man who compared to Talpa was benevolent. And I have served Talpa for over a thousand years with loyalty beyond reproach. Now I find that he is more concerned with the armor he bequeathed me than my life in enemy hands, and that he would gladly bequeath it to another if I should perish." Anubis gave her a pained smile. "Yes, I believe it is safe to say that I no longer work for the Dynasty, as you put it."

Greyoko smiled. "Well, that's good to know. Raimei was ready to lop off your head if you said otherwise." She scratched her head. "Come to think of it, I think she still feels that way."

"I am sorry to have caused you and your friends such grief." Anubis said quietly. Greyoko shrugged.

"You were the enemy, it was your job. Now you're not, and it's not. No harm done." Anubis looked startled.

"So easy for you to forgive me, when I once coveted your tears above all else…" There was a trace of amusement in his voice and Greyoko felt her cheeks grow hot.

"Well, I wouldn't call it forgiveness, but it would be a waste to hate you forever for saying cruel things to me." Anubis smiled, and already found himself growing fond of this new alliance.

Laughter cut in on their bonding, and Greyoko and Anubis looked up, surprised. The three remaining Warlords looked back.

"We've come to collect you and bring you home, Anubis." Cale said, although his tone said he didn't mind if it was whole or in pieces, dead or alive.

"And it looks like he's got a companion. We've no time to collect consorts." Sekhmet said coolly. Greyoko drew her sword.

"I'm no consort, but…" She recalled a human insult, smiling to herself. "…you can be my bitch." Anubis shot her a startled look. "They're not taking me alive…or you." Anubis was without his weapon, but his armor was powerful in its own right, and he had the strength of his newfound convictions to guide him.

But it was not enough for all three Warlords, and by now the Ronins and Sukufan Warriors were too far away. Greyoko locked swords with Cale.

"You're serving a man who cares little for you and only wants the armor you're wearing." Greyoko ground out through gritted teeth. Cale's eyes did not change, and with a sudden burst of dark energy, forced Greyoko back, minimizing the ground she had to work with. She and Anubis pressed back to back, sweat glistening on their brows, Greyoko's sword arm trembling from exertion.

"We have to retreat." She breathed as the Warlords surrounded them. Anubis growled in protest.

"No!" He cried.

"Anubis we can't beat them alone. We need the others!" Anubis was stubborn, and had never backed down from a battle a day in his life, but he knew she was right. If they did not retreat and get help, there was no way they would survive. Greyoko and Anubis turned, and as one, dove and rolled through the opening the Warlords had formed. Greyoko felt the breeze of Cale's sword as she got to her feet and ran into the darkness of the park's woods.

"Raimei! Netsui! Help!" She cried. Anubis was behind her, but when she looked back she saw that the three had converged on him. She skidded to a halt and turned to run back to him.

"Anubis! Anubis hold on I'm—" It was too late. The last thing she saw was his look of unrestrained terror as he was hauled away, vanishing in a cascade of red light. When the light faded, the darkness seemed even more invasive, and by the time the Ronins and her companions it was far too late. Anubis—and his armor—were back in Talpa's hands.


	3. The First Triumph

**Author's Note:** Reviews give me liiiiiiife! Alright, so I had to YouTube Ronin Warriors to watch the episodes from my missing DVD, and I just now realized I'm the proud owner of a bootleg DVD boxed set. Can you say "LOL"? I don't really mind, because the official DVD boxed set costs like $200, which maybe five years ago I would have been willing to drop on anime, but not now, which is why I do not own Sailor Moon on DVD. Anyway, I digress. I'm trying to keep the pacing of this story even, but I want to get to the exciting bits so I have a tendency to rush the story which makes it look awful. Alright, let's continue!

East of Toyama By Avec Classe

It was safe to say Greyoko was angry. Raimei was not thrilled about losing Anubis, but more because his armor was back in Dynasty hands. This made her no better than when Talpa was wroth with him winding up on their side. Greyoko found she was surprised that she was so upset; everyone assumed it was because she had failed in her duties. Greyoko wasn't sure she wanted to know the source of her discomfort. She let them think what they would, but surprisingly, it was Mayu who came to her later.

"You always did see the good in people," Mayu said quietly, "why you cannot forgive Ansequia her transgression as easily as you forgave a total stranger is beyond me." When Greyoko looked startled, Mayu smiled, serpent eyes blinking rapidly.

"I did not forgive him. I merely saw that after the Ancient spoke with him that he…he realized that…" Greyoko frowned when Mayu began to laugh. "It's not funny!"

"Oh no, no it's not funny. It's sweet. Seems our princess has found her knight…although his armor isn't exactly shining as one would hope." Greyoko felt her cheeks grow hot and Mayu laughed harder.

"Not funny." She muttered, hiding her face, which was now pink all over. Mayu ruffled the girl's hair.

"Ah, it's okay. We shall rescue him, and perhaps once we replenish our powers in full, we can convince him to come home with you." Greyoko buried her face in her hands and Mayu chuckled. Greyoko simply blushed harder.

"Don't worry, your time will come, and then you two can…finish what you started. However," as Mayu turned to leave, she looked grave, "I would do well to make sure Raimei doesn't get wind of your budding affections for the man. She's bound to kill him just to see you are kept focused on our mission." Greyoko nodded, and Mayu left her alone.

The Ronins and their companions were almost at Talpa's castle, but it seemed there was more to the castle than simply scaling it.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have the gift of flight, would you?" Ryo asked as they gaze up at the ominous palace that seemed half in this world and half out of it. The storm that constantly raged over it grew more violent.

"Is Talpa pissed or what? How do we get up there?" It wasn't as if the castle was on a mountain they could climb. The storm grew more violent and louder, as if in response to them. A flash of white lightning illuminated their puzzled faces.

"Sure could use the Ancient's help right about now…" Sai muttered. Even so, it was something they all felt in their bones when a cry split the air and a white light erupted from the black clouds, where the castle's top was ensconced.

"Was that…?"

"Oh no…"

The white light came crashing down not too far from them, burrowing into the ground. They stared, wide eyed, weapons at the ready. And then it erupted from the ground in a ceaseless spiral toward the top of the castle.

"…he was fighting Talpa, wasn't he?" Greyoko whispered. "That's why he left us here. He went to go and bridge a way for us to get in." She sounded heartbroken. All of them were, save Raimei, who accepted the Ancient's final battle as a brave and noble sacrifice.

"Let us not waste his sacrifice standing here. Come." She said, and although the others were reluctant, Ryo was the first to follow. The bridge was comprised of a light so pure it hurt their eyes, but it carried them up like an elevator, filling the Sukufan Warriors with an energy unlike anything they had ever felt before, giving the Ronins hope to trust in their armor. The ride up ended all too soon, and once they had landed in the barren courtyard at the very top of Talpa's castle, the bridge vanished, having served its purpose.

_Trust in the soul of your armor_…was the Ancient's last guiding word to the Ronins, but there was no time to mourn the loss of the monk, only to fight, because the Dynasty had been expecting them.

"Time to go to work." Ryo said grimly.

Time was relative once they were within the murk that surrounded Talpa's castle like a polluting smog. They were unsure of how long the battle lasted, nor how long it was before the Warlords arrived to crush them, but their morale had been boosted by the Ancient's sacrifice, and they realized almost too late the potential they had as a combined force. Netsui, having replenished her energy, combined her strength with Ryo's creating an inferno that pressed Dayus until his illusion broke, burning away the webbing of his power until he retreated. Mayu's body hardened, becoming the very stone beneath her feet, lending her might to Kento's attacks. Her fist connected with Sekhmet's helm, although she came away with burns from the venom.

"You alright?" Kento asked as they stood back to back. Mayu smirked.

"I'll be fine, just keep attacking…" She breathed, her vision going blurry for a moment. Sekhmet laughed.

"Not immune to my poison are you?" He gloated as Mayu struggled to keep him within her sights. Sekhmet decided to come in for the kill, driving up the middle.

"Mayu!" Kento cried, whirling to block Sekhmet's swords with his staff. Poison dripped from the edge, and he heard the hiss as it burned against his armor, shielding Mayu, who was steadily succumbing to the dizziness.

"Kento…go on…I can still…fight…" She breathed, but the world was careening sideways.

"Mayu!" He cried, but was too preoccupied fighting off Sekhmet to come to her aid.

Raimei was the fiercest fighter, but coupled with Seiji's grace, she looked more bloodthirsty than usual.

"Raimei, you are very greedy on the battlefield." He chided as they stood back to back, facing off against Cale, whose darkness had been beaten back by Seiji's light before. Raimei's lighting had cut an ugly path in the courtyard, frying Dynasty soldiers and anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its warpath, and leaving destruction in its wake. The battle seemed matched, until Cale scored a lucky strike on Raimei, sending her tumbling to the ground as she rode out each electrical shock until she was left panting on one knee, balancing the remainder of her weight on her sword. Seiji held out a hand to help her to her feet. She took it begrudgingly. Both of them had in common the sin of pride, but they knew now that they were down to the wire, and that pride could only mean death in the battlefield. To Raimei, death was not an option; to Seiji, _losing _was not an option. Both wordlessly agreed to go down fighting.

That's when Talpa called his Warlords back to him, and none of them willingly. The Nether Spirits swirled about, playing their haunting tune, binding the unseen spell that closed around the heroic warriors and their enemies alike. Dynasty warriors turned and fled as the castle shook and rumbled as if in fear of the impending battle. Kento scooped Mayu into his arms, shaking her. She opened her eyes briefly.

"Goddess be praised…is he gone…?" She murmured. Kento smiled.

"Yeah, but I don't think we're gonna like what's taking his place. Can you stand?" He asked. Mayu smiled at him, serpent eyes blinking in an almost coquettish manner.

"If you set me down, Kento of Hardrock." Kento blushed and set her down. Mayu brushed herself off and cracked her knuckles.

**YOU HAVE DONE WELL TO COME TO ME, SAVING ME THE EFFORT OF SENDING THESE INCOMPETENT FOOLS TO COLLECT YOUR ARMORS MYSELF.**

The voice boomed in their heads and around them, and Tonyamii dug in her ears and wiggled rapidly, frowning.

"Too loud." She said in her strange accented lilt, sounding irritated which masked her fear. "Very bad for us. Very bad for _me_."

"Yeah, but we're not out of the game yet," Ryo said, "you want us Talpa come and get us yourself! It's about time you came out and did something on your own!" He bellowed, and Talpa laughed. His laughter echoed across the heavens like a thunder clap and Tonyamii covered her ears, crouching. Sai touched her shoulder, concerned.

"We kill him, now? He very…" she was searching her limited inventory of human words. "…fucking stupid." She concluded contemptuously. Not quite what she meant most likely, but the group could not disagree.

"Yeah. We kill him now, Tonya," Ryo agreed.

"_Really _fucking stupid." Kento chimed in. Tonyamii smiled, pleased that she was making headway with the human and her vocabulary. Raimei stepped beside Greyoko.

"Do not think for an instant I will let this come to pass, Princess." She warned quietly. Greyoko gave her a startled look. Raimei frowned.

"I know about you and your little infatuation with Anubis. He is our enemy. It is his armor that is important, but the man is tainted…evil through and through. Remember that." Greyoko tried to keep her lower lip from trembling, so she bit it and focused on Talpa, who had emerged from the castle. They had never seen anything so enormous…an enemy who was as large as he was powerful. His white hair flowed from beneath a demon helm, armor creaking as he came to stand above them.

And he laughed.

**YOU ARE FOOLS TO THINK YOU WOULD EVER HAVE BEEN A MATCH FOR ME. NOW I WILL NOT ONLY TAKE YOUR ARMOR, RONIN WARRIORS, I WILL TAKE THE DIVINE SPARK OF SUKUFAN AS WELL!**

Greyoko felt a fluttering in her chest that was distinct terror. The three Warlords were no where to be seen. Nor was Anubis.

He had absorbed them, already. Suddenly that terror turned to a fury she had never felt before. Righteous and clean, and she saw Ryo felt it to.

"Let's hit him with everything we've got!" He said. For once, all were in agreement, and they surged forward.

There were no words to do that battle justice, but it was a losing battle all the same. Talpa had garnered too much power over time, and the armors he had absorbed into himself had bolstered his strength far more than his noncommittal participation had belied. He swatted away Rowen's arrows as if they were flies, deflected Raimei and Seiji's lightning as if shielding his eyes from a pleasant sunlight. Ryo and Netsui's flames were absorbed into one of his many blades and Greyoko found her shriek reflected back at her, disabling all of them. Tonyamii and Sai combined their attacks to call down the wrath of the sea, but only succeeded in getting everyone wet.

Everything they had had been nothing to this creature, and Talpa had not even gone on the offensive yet.

When he did, the results were devastating.

Mayu was first, already weakened from Sekhmet's venom, snatched up like an errant doll and flung into the air. Kento went after her, and he absorbed them both. Their friends watched in horror as both the Sukufan and Ronin warriors of the earth vanished into the mouth of Talpa's helm, their cries fading until only the wind from the Nether Spirits flying about was all there was.

"Why you…" Raimei's rage had built over the passing month within the Ronins' company, but witnessing what may have been the death of one of her friends and comrades at arms, had broken the dam that had contained it. Quick as the lightning she called down, Raimei struck and Seiji was the only one fast enough to try and stop her. Sai and Tonyamii followed, citing that two were obviously not enough for Talpa. Netsui followed suit, leaving Rowen, Ryo, and Greyoko, who had been weakened from bearing the brunt of her own attack deflected back at her.

"We have to…stop them…" Greyoko ground out. Rowen used the last dregs of his strength to fire one last Arrow Shock Wave. It made Talpa waver, and he momentarily dropped Raimei, whose left arm was shattered, but he quickly recovered and attacked. Rowen snatched Greyoko and they dove out of the way, as the warped attack ripped a path.

Talpa could not be stopped, and soon, Ryo and Greyoko were left.

"Ryo…" Greyoko murmured. "…I think this battle…is one you have to fight alone…" She felt weaker, weaker than she had ever been. Ryo frowned.

"No! Greyoko we're all that's left! You can't give up, now!" Greyoko shook her head.

"Not giving up…" She said gently. "…just…this is not a Sukufan foe. Your armor was designed to defeat Talpa. And to do that…I think you need to lose all of us to him." Ryo couldn't believe what she was saying. She said she wasn't giving up, but it sounded like a sure-as-shit surrender to him.

"No." He said, then a bit more firmly, "_No_. We do this together. Now, on your feet!"

They fought, and gods he could _see _Greyoko trying so damned hard to keep up, but he knew what would happen, knew from the moment she told him this was his fight, not hers.

He watched Greyoko gear up for one last blow, watched Talpa slap her hard into the ground like a volleyball.

**AT LAST…THE DIVINE SPARK IS MINE, AND SO IS YOUR ARMOR RYO OF THE WILDFIRE! YOU CANNOT KEEP DESTINY AT BAY FOR TOO LONG!**

Ryo saw Greyoko vanish into Talpa's gaping maw, wondered if she felt any pain as she died. He wondered if he would feel any pain when Talpa inevitably absorbed him, because he did not think it was possible for him to do it alone, if even his friends' combined strengths were no match.

Like all battles, this one went on for longer than Ryo thought himself capable, and when Talpa absorbed him, he thought it was the end. Truly it had to be, for there was no escaping from this abyss. He felt peaceful, if one could call it that. He sank deeper, knowing that this was the same transition his friends had gone through. He was ready to accept slumber, ready to accept that he had let everyone down, and that the sacrifices of his friends had been in vain.

That was, until he heard the Ancient's voice, and learned the depths of the story of which he only knew a small part.

The Ancient had not lied in telling them that their armors were merely pieces of Talpa's own, from thousands of years before. And there, in that vision that unfurled before his mind's eye, he learned the monk's true name.

Kaos.

It was the warrior-monk, Kaos, who had gone toe-to-toe with Talpa for the first time, wielding the powerful staff that had then been a golden sword. His holy power had banished Talpa's spirit back to the Netherworld, but his armor remained, forever linking him to the mortal world. Kaos prayed over the armor, at first in an attempt to purify the evil that sculpted it. When that failed, he proceeded to split the armor apart into separate suits, imbuing them with holy virtues. It did not purify the evil that Talpa's armor exuded, but it contained it, kept it at bay to allow those of a good heart to wield their powers.

Ryo understood, then, that they had all lost faith. Their loss of faith in their own power had weakened them. Talpa was no more powerful than they for he had confidence in his victory.

Ryo intended to break that confidence.

It began with his fury, and it ended with his determination. Talpa cried out his disbelief as Ryo burst free from the chains of the spell that bound him and his friends, and he found renewed strength in his conviction. He called to his friends—all of them, Ronins, Sukufanians, and Warlords alike.

He called upon their powers, and he felt as if he would burst from his skin from the power they threw at him. There was no contempt; there was only desperation for him to win. Ryo was the only one awake enough to do it.

The change was incredible. His armor grew hot, so hot he could begin to feel it beneath his sub-armor, and then it turned white; white as the pure driven snow, his sub-armor going black in a sea of flame that seemed to be generated from his very body. Gods it was incredible! Ryo stared at his hands in shock, unsure of what this meant. There had been no white armor in the vision Kaos had shown him.

But he knew what needed to be done.

When he called down the Rage of Inferno, he knew Talpa was defeated, and his friends avenged.

The power was endless, lighting up the entire city, burning away the evil that had blighted it, burning Talpa, burning the entire castle.

Burning _him_.

Ryo saw the light go from his own body, felt the energy deplete until he was left with nothing but darkness, but it was not the same darkness of being devoured by Talpa. It was the darkness of dying…or losing consciousness.

Ryo didn't care.

"Hey, hey, hey sleeping beauty's up and we didn't even have to kiss him!" Ryo opened his eyes. He felt like he'd been dead for centuries, wondered if this was paradise, and wondered if his friends could forgive him for letting them all die.

"White Blaze must have his tongue." He heard the accented lilt of Tonyamii's voice and never thought he'd be so happy to hear it.

"It's 'the cat has his tongue', Tonya." He heard Rowen mutter, then a cry of alarm which was Rowen ducking Tonyamii's slap.

"White Blaze type of cat, so I am right." She said.

"Guys?" Ryo heard himself croak and heard the resounding cheers of his friends.

"He liiiiives!" Kento cried. Ryo sat up, shielding his eyes from the sunlight that filtered through the open balcony doors and into the large bedroom, he looked around. There they were: the other four Ronins, Mia, Yulie, and all five of the Sukufan Warriors. He saw no sign of the Warlords nor of Anubis.

"We beat him? We beat Talpa?" Ryo wondered, awestruck. The others exchanged glances.

"Yeah, four days ago you kicked more ass than any of us have sat on, bro." Kento said with a grin.

"Didn't think you had it in you, did you, Ryo?" Rowen asked and Ryo smiled, unable to express his immense relief with words. They'd done it. They'd beaten Talpa, and they were alive.

"What about the Warlords? I saw all of you get…"

"There will be time for that later, Ryo," Netsui said pragmatically, coming back into the room with a tray of food and drink in her arms. "You need to eat and get your strength up, and then we can tell you the gory details." Ryo obliged her, watching her closely, then his eyes strayed to Greyoko, who had said very little, and looked less enthusiastic about the victory.

He found out why, later.

She was loitering on the front porch, and it was strange seeing her dressed in human clothes, a sweater that hung off of her shoulders, and a pair of loose-fitting jeans. She was bare foot, gazing at the lake in front of Mia's enormous house.

"What's eating you?" He asked her. Startled, Greyoko turned to pin him with a pained look in her green eyes. The fall breeze stirred her onyx hair. Ryo found that since knowing her as the runt of the Sukufan litter, she had grown into her own skin quite a bit.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. Ryo came to stand next to her.

"For what?"

"Giving up on you. Giving up on everything we were fighting for. I should have stuck by you." Ryo frowned.

"Hey, you gave it your best shot. We all got hammered pretty hard out there…even me. If it weren't for the Ancient—Kaos—we'd still be in Talpa's abyss." Greyoko glared at him.

"It's not that!" She snapped. "I failed him." Ryo's brows shot up.

"Who?"

"Anubis." Greyoko muttered. "I tried to protect him. Tried to keep him from falling back into Talpa's hands. And now…now he's…" Ryo saw her shoulders shake and took her in his arms. It wasn't in his nature to see a friend hurt.

"Don't go beating yourself up over it. Anubis knew what he was up against, and there was no way you could have gone it alone with the Dark Warlords, and definitely not Talpa. And anyway, I only kicked his ass because all of you—all of you—lent me your strength. You can't go around blaming yourself because some of us didn't make it. We all knew the risks." Greyoko nodded.

"Yes. We did," she agreed, "but I have never fought before coming to this world, Ryo." She stepped back, smiling, dashing tears away from her eyes. "I've trained to fight evil all my life, and this was to be my trial by fire. I was supposed to prove that I deserved to lead more than Ansequia." Greyoko looked self-deprecating and Ryo looked pensive.

"You really can't stand it, can you? This whole mission coming to save your sister, you weren't all for it from the jump, I could see that much." Ryo may have been hot-headed most of the time, but he was no fool. "You've been standing in your sister's shadow since birth. I'm guessing she's supposed to be prettier, stronger, and smarter than you." At Greyoko's indignant blush Ryo smiled.

"I don't know this Anseq…Anseqwhatever. She wasn't out there sweating and bleeding in battle with me. She didn't have my back, but you, Greyoko—you did. And by rights that makes you more important to me than she could ever be—mission or no mission." Greyoko smiled, her confidence lifting a little. Ryo squeezed her shoulder companionably.

"Let's go inside. I'm sure you guys have a lot to explain to me about why I've been out cold the past week."


	4. The Dynasty Strikes Back

**Author's Note:** Ohmigosh. I've been hit by the Writing Mallet. Anyway, I m feeling pretty good about this revised fic thus far, how about you?

East of Toyama By Avec Classe

The Dynasty had been defeated, and the Ronins and Sukufanians were discovering the depths of their powers, and the strength of their camaraderie. Having resumed a semblance of normal lives, and a full house, they learned to live and work together. Yulie had found his parents' relatives, an aunt, uncle, and a few cousins to live with, although he visited often to see White Blaze. Meanwhile, the Sukufanians debated the state of their purpose of being on this planet.

"Ansequia was not even in Talpa's palace!" Raimei snapped, slamming her fist on the table, making the tea cups and their contents leap and tremble. Violet lightning flashed in her eyes, evincing her frustration. "How are we to know where she might be since Talpa was defeated? If it was Ansequia who opened the rift to allow Talpa to cross into this realm, then she must be alive."

"Then that would mean the Dynasty is not truly defeated, and that Ryo merely banished Talpa, not destroyed him." Mayu said calmly, lifting her tea cup to her lips to take a sip. She peered at Raimei over the rim of her cup and the lightning warrior quelled beneath that predatory gaze.

"If it is so, then we must tell the Ronins that their work is not yet finished." Raimei said resolutely. "And neither is ours." Tonyamii spoke, and while in the presence of the Ronins or Mia, she used her halting use of their own tongue, she had reverted to Sukufan's native tongue for this meeting. Netsui shook her head.

"Ryo said the vision the Ancient showed him was of the first battle against Talpa, and the creation of their mystical armors. If these armors have been used to do battle against evil since that time, then it goes without saying that Talpa is merely a demon spirit from a much larger realm. Even the Ancient admitted he did not destroy Talpa, since his armor was left behind, forever linking him to this world." The Sukufan Warriors were silent a moment, exchanging glances.

"Then that means…" Tonyamii began. Mayu inclined her head as if in resignation. Netsui looked grim.

"So long as the Ronins have their armors, it is proof that Talpa's evil is not yet destroyed." Greyoko looked unsatisfied with that assessment.

"We must speak with the Ronins on this matter. This goes beyond a mere rescue mission. If Talpa came from some other place…some demon realm, then there may be more to worry about than simply him."

"It is clear he is the leader, Princess," Raimei said acidly, "we just need to go into his realm and destroy him there. It would be impossible to destroy him in this world, because…" her expression changed as it dawned on her.

"We have to find the Ronins, now!" She roared. Her team mates looked startled. "They are in grave danger…!"

By the time the Ronins knew the Dynasty had not been defeated, it was too late for Seiji of the Halo, Sai of the Torrent, and Kento of Hardrock. It was only Rowen and Ryo who managed to escape back to Mia's home, with Rowen bringing worse news.

"She calls herself Lady Kayura. And that bitch is _bad_." The Ronin said, shutting his eyes, remembering hitting her with everything he had and getting no where. The Sukufan Warriors exchanged glances. They did not know of a Lady Kayura, and nor did Mia when she double-checked her logs.

"The gloves are off for the Dynasty, I think," Greyoko said. "Talpa knows what you're capable of Ryo when you and the other Ronins combine your powers. It's why he kidnapped the others, first. He's trying to lure you into a trap. He knows you'd do anything to save your friends."

"And I will! We're going into the Netherworld to kick his ghostly ass." Ryo said determinedly, but Rowen—and surprisingly, Raimei—stopped him.

"Gods be damned, Ryo, that's just what Talpa wants: you rushing in half-cocked and ready to die. He'll take you too, and you're the only one who can summon that white armor to kick any ass Talpa has left to him." Raimei said fiercely but Ryo snatched his arm away.

"While we're sitting here talking it out, my friends are getting tortured!" Ryo snapped. Rowen got angry; a rare occurrence for the usually cool-headed warrior.

"They're my friends too! Ryo we can't go in there guns blazing. We don't know who or what the hell else they've got in there to corner us with. For all we know, we could get in and get ambushed before we even had time to set our watches." Before the argument could escalate, there was a laugh from outside, and the balcony doors blew open, bringing in a strange array of out-of-season cherry blossom petals, and the scent of a woman's perfume…and the sound of mocking, amused laughter. The remaining Ronins ran outside, and found a storm waiting for them.

Lady Kayura calmed it, and emerged for the first time. She was not at all what any of them expected; no more than an adolescent girl, really, barely bigger than Greyoko, but there was the deep well of knowledge in her eyes that warned the heroes not to be fooled by appearances. She was pale and beautiful, long hair upswept in a high ponytail, eyes bright with the excitement of finally being loosed upon the mortal world.

"I had been told there were only two Ronins left to collect…but I did not expect you to have companions. I was told the Sukufan Warriors left this realm." Lady Kayura's gaze did not linger overlong on any of the assembled cast, and she had a lackadaisical mien about her that belied her prowess.

"Don't be fooled, guys. She gave me a run for my money without batting a single lash…and she kicked me while I was down, too." Rowen warned. Kayura's eyes flickered to Rowen a moment, as if there was a shared secret between them that neither spoke of, but then her attention fell to Ryo.

"It's a shame you won't be able to call your white armor, Ryo of the Wildfire—I did so look forward to pitting my powers against it." She waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Ah well, such games can wait. You and Rowen of the Strata are to come with me into the Netherworld. Your friends are waiting."

"The hell they are!" Ryo said and transformed into his armor. Rowen followed suit, with the Sukufan Warriors backing them. There was no way Lady Kayura could beat all of them.

Sometimes, it was better to be cautious than wrong altogether.

Kayura not only beat each of the Sukufanians, she laughed the entire time, and when she'd beaten them, she repeated the beating she'd given Rowen on both him and Ryo.

It was history coming back to bite them in the proverbial ass, and that Starsword Scream attack of hers was probably the most painful thing any of them had ever endured since Greyoko unleashed her powers on Anubis what seemed ages ago.

"You know, Greyoko, was it?" Greyoko looked up from her paralyzed state to see Kayura looking down at her. "I'm disappointed. Your sister was probably the greatest warrior I had ever met. It's a shame Talpa had to put a stop to her. We don't take kindly to insurrection." Greyoko's startled expression made Kayura smile.

"But you are a pale shadow in comparison to what she was even at her weakest." And with that Kayura's booted foot swept up, connecting squarely with Greyoko's chin and sending her sprawling backward in the dirt. Greyoko lay there, the stars above winking in and out of her vision, as if they were laughing at her. She swore she heard the chime of rings on a magical staff they hadn't seen since the Ancient—since Kaos sacrificed himself to help them defeat Talpa.

She did hear Ryo shriek "Rage of Inferno", however, and knew she had lost her wits.

"Greyoko?" Someone was patting her cheek too hard. Someone was shaking her. Irritated, her fist shot out.

"Ah! Shit she's not a friendly bedmate, is she?" She heard what she thought was Ryo's voice. Greyoko shot up with a gasp.

"I'm not dead!" She cried. "…I'm not dead?" She asked. Laughter.

"No, you're definitely not dead but after Kayura knocked your block off with her foot you looked it." Rowen said with an amused smile. Greyoko frowned momentarily, and then remembered what she'd heard.

"Then Ryo didn't summon the Inferno Armor?" Greyoko rubbed her eyes, looking around. Ryo stretched.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure how. We were beat. Kayura managed to beat us down…really kicked our asses back there, but the strangest thing happened."

"Kaos' staff appeared." Greyoko finished. Ryo met her eyes, surprised. "Yeah, I heard it before everything went dark. Where are the others? Did they make it out okay?" Rowen and Ryo exchanged a glance.

"Netsui is here…but Kayura decided it would be better to bring the others with her when she escaped through the Nethergate. I tried to stop her," Ryo said seeing Greyoko's horrified expression, "but I was so surprised that I even had the Inferno Armor that I just wanted to destroy her instead…I took out that gate."

"We have to get in there and free them. All of them!" Greyoko cried but Rowen stopped her.

"Hang on, we don't know what we're up against. Kayura's an Ace up Talpa's sleeve; the ultimate curve ball. She's cocky, but unlike the Dark Warlords she can back it up with a mean right hook." He said. Ryo looked impatient.

"She's right, though. We can't afford to wait around for them to come and collect us. We go into the Netherworld on our terms, or we die." Rowen said nothing, glancing between the two of them.

"If we go in there without a plan, we're fucked," he said. "And what about Kaos' staff appearing? This has to mean he's alive…or someone has taken his place."

"Or it could be a trap." Netsui said quietly, startling everyone in the room. No one had heard her enter, along with Mia, who looked more concerned than anyone there.

"Kaos is dead, of this there is no doubt, or else he would not have bothered to expend so much energy against Talpa. To do so would have been foolish if he did not intend to die," she saw Rowen's expression. "He mentioned to you that there was a clan he was from. Perhaps he had chosen a successor when his sacrifice seemed inevitably imminent." Rowen nodded.

"I see. So you're saying there's more than one Ancient in this thing? Why won't he come forward, then?"

"Maybe he's a fake." Ryo said hotly. "Maybe it _is _some Dynasty plot. Either way, standing here talking about it is not going to rescue our friends from getting tortured. We need to act now, while there's still time to save them."

"Hang on, Ryo," Mia said finally, "we don't even know what's in the Netherworld. No one who goes there ever comes back, and it's a vast kingdom. You wouldn't even know where to look. We have to make a plan if you guys are to go in safely with any chance of success."

"The more time we waste, the lesser our chances will be!" Ryo cried. "Don't you guys get it? They _want _us in there. We have to take the fight to them or else we'll just keep getting hammered until we break."

"I'm with Ryo, but we can't go in half-cocked," Greyoko said getting to her feet, "but whatever plans we make, we make them fast or we go with no plan at all. I'm not for sitting here while our friends endure gods-know-what at the hands of those people." Ryo smiled, glad to have someone backing him. Netsui regarded Greyoko gravely, and inclined her head. She was but a Guardian of Sukufan, and Greyoko was her sovereign; she would not gainsay her.

"Very well, then," she said, "perhaps a divination is in order."

"A divin-what?" Ryo asked. Greyoko smiled, feeling a little more hopeful.

"A divination…it's a method we use for tracking the locations of our enemies. Netsui can use one to find an entrance to the Netherworld. We have to do it outside, though."

"Then let's get going." Rowen said.

As it turned out, a divination wasn't necessary, because they had greater surprises in store. Still, Netsui made the necessary preparations.

"We're not gonna have to sacrifice a small animal or anything like that, are we?" Rowen asked jokingly. Greyoko shook her head.

"In the past, the blood of the innocent was required, but we've managed to bypass that with something better."

"What could possibly be better than the blood of the innocent?" Ryo asked dryly. Greyoko smiled at him.

"Pure intentions. Do you want to find your friends or not?" Ryo nodded. "Then sit across from Netsui and she'll help you."

Before Ryo could sit, they heard it. How could they not miles away from the city as they were? The chime was a familiar cadence to them all, but none had ever thought they'd hear it again save in their dreams, troubled by past battles and inner demons.

"Can't be…" Mia whispered. Greyoko watched the sunset, fixed on the silhouette making its way toward them. When he arrived, it was clear that this was indeed Kaos, or someone dressed similarly. When he lifted his hat to reveal his eyes, Greyoko's mouth went dry.

"Anubis? You're alive?" Ryo's shock echoed everyone else's, but not Greyoko's. The color drained from her face, and she felt her knees turn to water. Had Mia not been there to steady her, she likely would have fainted dead away. Anubis smiled, taking small pleasure in the shock at his survival.

"It seems I have some explaining to do." He said gently, the rough texture of his voice having been smoothed away by a time spent in solitude and inner serenity. Greyoko wondered if this was indeed a trick of the Dynasty, and only Rowen voiced it for her later when Anubis explained what had happened to him after the battle with Talpa. It was easier to believe him, when they realized he had truly listened to Kaos' words and accepted that while he was bound by his loyalty, he could choose to whom his loyalty would be bound.

Talpa had lost on that front, and with it, he had lost the Ogre Armor he had bequeathed Anubis.

"I have not worn it since that battle," he said gently, "and I do not know if I could even if I wanted to. I have learned much follow in Kaos' footsteps, but most of all I have learned that I am not the man I used to be," he saw their expressions, and smiled, "nor the warlord." He added.

"So you're the one who helped Ryo summon the Inferno Armor?" Rowen asked. Anubis nodded.

"Know that I cannot do that all the time, and I cannot protect you from every danger you are sure to face on the path ahead. Like Kaos, I can but guide you, and give you an encouraging nudge in the right direction, but for all my power, I cannot help you. This battle is yours." Greyoko suddenly felt angry. The man she'd tried to save that night he'd been freed was not the man who stood before them now, dressed like a monk and talking with such a soothing voice.

She wasn't so sure why that upset her.

"Well if he's here to help, I say we accept it," Mia said finally, "we can use all the help we can get from the looks of it."

"Can you get us in to the Netherworld?" Ryo asked. Anubis winced, as if the very word 'Netherworld' elicited painful memories he had worked hard to bury so deep that they could not be excavated without sufficient aid. Greyoko noted it, and Netsui pursed her lips. He was still new to Kaos' line of work. It would be hard for him, but no harder than those who came before him.

"Yes, but are you sure you are ready? The Netherworld is unlike anything you will ever see in your short years, Ryo of the Wildfire and Rowen of the Strata. The rules here do not apply once you cross over, and there my power will be considerably weaker away from the purity of the human heart and closer to the corruption of the human soul."

"That's a risk we're willing to take, Anubis. Our friends are in the Netherworld, and we have to get them out. Talpa's after our armors again, and he's got Greyoko's friends too."

"And Lady Kayura?" Anubis looked at them, Rowen in particular.

"She's not our main concern," Netsui chimed in, "she is a considerably cumbersome thorn in our side, but when push comes to shove, she is one of Talpa's minions, not Talpa himself."

"Right," Ryo agreed, "so can you get us in, or not?" Anubis shut his eyes. He was hoping they'd back down, deep down inside, but he knew this was coming eventually. It was as inevitable as the moon's pull on the tides. In order to come full circle, he had to go back.

Gods it was hard.

"Alright. I will bridge the way between this world and the Netherworld. I cannot follow you…not yet, anyway. But once you are there, know this: you will be tempted. At every turn your strength of will and depth of faith in your convictions will be tried and tested, and should you slip only a little, all could be lost. The fate of your friends depends on your ability to focus, are we clear?"

"Crystal. When do we leave?"

"Tonight. I will need time to prepare." He met Greyoko's eyes. It wasn't a complete lie, but there was so much that remained unsaid between them, for all the brevity of their knowing one another.

They talked as the sun sank behind the trees, leaving the others to prepare themselves individually.

"You should have told us sooner." Greyoko said, trying not to sound accusatory. Anubis did not look at her, staring into the deepening gloaming.

"It was not yet time. I had a lot to learn these past months, Greyoko. And why do you concern yourself with my well-being?" At last, he turned to face her, finding her leaning against the railing of the porch, arms crossed.

"The last time I saw you, the other Warlords looked ready to tear you limb from limb to get that armor off of you. They took you back to Talpa and I had no way of knowing if you were alive or dead…" Greyoko tried to slow her words. "I thought I had failed to protect you from that, and when you never reappeared afterward…I knew I had." Anubis' eyes widened. He hadn't realized his vanishing had such an effect.

"You were trying to protect me? Greyoko you couldn't have possibly faced those three alone."

"I'm so _sick _of people telling me what I can and cannot handle! For Shanindola's sake I could scream right now and shatter your bones. I can bend that staff into a fucking pretzel on a whim and you wouldn't be able to lift a finger to stop me because I would have already killed you. Anubis I could have faced them long enough for you to escape, but I hesitated." Anubis looked at her calmly.

"You hesitated because you did not know if it was worth it to save me." He surmised. Greyoko looked away. Anubis tipped her chin up with his fingertips.

"You may well have been right. I was not yet ready to accept the truth Kaos had shown me, which is partially why I had been taken. I _wanted _to go with them. You have to understand, that for the past four centuries, I had served Talpa with loyalty beyond reproach. I was a greedy warlord before he came to me, and he preyed on that greed throughout my service to him, rewarding me handsomely when I pleased him, and providing enough incentive to see that I punished myself for my failures in addition to incurring his displeasure, which was punishment enough. Greyoko I lived a terrible life, I do not blame you for not wanting to save me then." Greyoko seemed able to look him in the eyes, now.

"I thought you were dead, and I felt terrible because…" She wasn't sure when it happened, or why, just that it did. Their lips met and it seemed her guilt was dissolving. This was not a kiss of silence; this was a kiss of forgiveness. She had blamed herself for his apparent death, and he was forgiving her…absolving her of her folly. She shut her eyes. No one had ever kissed her before.

When they pulled away, Greyoko's cheeks were flushed. His were not; Anubis may have been a peace-loving monk, now, but he was not green to the mysteries of the paramour. Greyoko, however, looked startled and pleased, as if she'd just stumbled upon an unexpected gift, and she felt fluttering sensations in her belly, like her heart was trying to dance around in her midsection.

"Do not carry the burden of my sins on your shoulders." Anubis said quietly. Greyoko nodded, although her eyes were still far off, the tingling sensation of the kiss still dazzling her senses. Anubis went back inside, leaving Greyoko to her thoughts. She had to focus, because she was about to go into the Netherworld, and this time she'd be separated from Anubis without the stigma of his shifting loyalties. She'd actually feel a pang of anguish from not being near him…not with a kiss lingering between the two of them, and her heart fluttering like a trapped bird in her chest every time she thought about him.

Netsui saw the change in her, and smiled. While she was pragmatic, she had already suspected Greyoko's burgeoning attraction to Anubis the moment she laid eyes on him as a man. It was her first crush, and her first kiss. Perhaps having her heart broken would teach her a thing or two.

All too soon, it was time to leave. They would drive into the city, proper, because there was where the convergence of the two worlds was strongest; where the people's fear could feed the minions of the Dynasty en masse. Anubis seemed edgy riding in a car for the first time, having spent his reborn lifetime in the countryside that reminded him of his own era, but Greyoko sat next to him, and discreetly took his hand. Their fingers interlaced, and she tried to hide a smile. Anubis smiled openly.

"There is no need to fear," he murmured reassuringly, "if you take my advice, you will be fine." He squeezed her hand reassuringly, and Greyoko relaxed, not daring to lean against him as she longed to do. There was no time, and the traffic in the city was a blessing. It would take some time to get to the convergence point.

"Did you know my sister…when you were…when you were there?" Greyoko asked quietly, although there was no point in whispering, since the car was so cramped. Anubis looked grave, almost grim.

"Yes. She was…during that time… a magnificent creature of destructive power. She carried the Divine Spark within her, but it was tainted, and not by Talpa's doing. Something else was in her…something darker, and it made her uncontrollable. Talpa had her sealed away in the Netherworld, but somehow he managed to harness some of her power to force open the rift that allowed him back in to this world." Anubis tilted his head toward her, his teal eyes deep with a memory he wished he could erase.

"She's half-Mir'Ajan." Greyoko said, answering his question. "You couldn't have known. The Mir'Ajans are a terrible race. One raped my mother, and Ansequia was the result. That's why her Spark is tainted. But…but what was she like? I only knew her when she was barely older than me."

"She was cruel. Crueler than any of us. She pleased Talpa a great deal. He actually regretted having to lock her away. While she enjoyed doing his bidding, she didn't always follow his orders. She would vanish frequently to do something on her own, being able to pass between the mortal world and the Netherworld with ease. Talpa had Badammon, his priest, seal her away in a tower in deep slumber. There, he could harness the power of her Spark to keep the Netherworld rift open and pass into this world. Why are you trying to rescue her?"

"Because my mother wanted it." Greyoko said. She realized then that everyone in the car was listening, and Anubis still held her hand.

"It is why we are here," Netsui said, "to retrieve Ansequia so that no one else can use her destructive force for their own ends." Greyoko looked disgusted.

"Just us," she muttered disdainfully. Netsui frowned.

"It was Ya'kini's last wish, and as Guardians it is our job to carry it out."

"I'm just trying to save the others and beat Talpa once and for all." Greyoko said. "Ansequia never gave a damn about Sukufan or any of the Illiyan Realms. Why should she care that we're coming to free her?"

"Perhaps in her solitude she's had a lot of time to think about and assess her life and options." Mia said from the driver's seat. Greyoko blinked, unable to retort, having not expected Mia to have any sufficient input on anything aside from the Ronins and their origins.

"Mayhap," Netsui said, "and it is with that hope that we carry on with our mission. Even if our Princess is reluctant." Anubis smiled, but Greyoko sank down in her seat.

That's when Kayura struck.


	5. Rattling the Chain

**Author's Note:** For those who are secretly asking where Yulie is in all of this (and hoping I killed him): I omitted him by sending him to live with relatives in another town. I just didn't have the energy to write for him, nor did I see him as anything but a nuisance with nothing of merit to contribute alongside Mia. And yes, I know he's supposed to be the one using the Jewel of Life, blah blah blah, but I have a much better idea for that little plot device (it was such a fucking plot device, admit it). I'm just glad I finally got Greyoko and Anubis' relationship off my fucking chest. I'm talking major closure going on 11 years! I've been writing fics for 11 years. I am so old. I am so corny. I am so mad at myself for not getting off the fanfiction bandwagon. What's worse, is I'm enjoying all of it…and there is still more to come and I hope you guys enjoy it too. God!

East of Toyama By Avec Classe

Her heartbeat had slowed considerably over the passage of time, but she did not die. She merely slept, and in that sleep, she dreamed. The dreams varied, depending on the patterns of her mood, but most of them surrounded the precept of vengeance. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth.

A body for a body.

How long Talpa had kept her like this she could not say with any real certainty, but it was nothing short of a living hell. She was highly aware of all that went on within her golden tower, where she was guarded incessantly by the most powerful spirits of the Netherworld. But beyond the gilded cage, the world could have ended and she would have not known.

That drove her mad.

Not knowing anything; if her comrades had lived or died, if Talpa had finally succeeded in overrunning the mortal world and subduing the known existence to his will. She knew nothing of what had become of Kayura's training. Here, one darkness was traded for another. The darkness of sleep subsumed the darkness of another dream.

She learned to hate Talpa in this place.

She learned to hate all of them, and she vowed, when she finally worked the last of her bindings free, that the Netherworld and the mortal world would taste the bitterness of her fury; a fury that had built for well over a thousand years.

Only one more spell to break.

"This is the Netherworld?" Ryo's voice echoed over the endless expanse of golden water, upon which lotus flowers blossomed and floated.

"It's beautiful…" Greyoko said dreamily. Rowen tapped her with his bow.

"Remember what Anubis said, Grey," he warned, "this is probably a gimmick to suck in the weak of heart. We're here on a mission, not to compliment the landscaper." Rowen looked around. On all sides it was nothing but water. Even White Blaze seemed unsure.

"Gotta admit, though, this place is pretty breathtaking." Rowen added, mostly to himself. Greyoko sloshed through the knee-deep water, moving her sword to the baldric across her chest. Netsui shivered a little. Water always dulled her abilities. Ryo noticed this, and offered White Blaze to carry her.

"It is not necessary, truly," she declined, but Ryo insisted.

"Look, even if you don't think it's a big deal, we do. We can't go in already half-tired and weakened. We need to be on top of our game, even if it means swallowing our pride."

"The Irony Gods have spoken." Rowen said and Ryo shot him a dirty look. Rowen smirked. "Just saying."

With Netsui and Greyoko on White Blaze, they headed out, trying to feel out which direction they needed to go in. It wound up being easier than they thought; they simply followed the Netherspirits. The stronghold of Talpa's headquarters was the only structure in the Netherworld, it seemed, and his palace—a gilded gold monstrosity that screamed of Japanese shogun—rose above the enormous city like horns on a bull. The remaining warriors looked at it with grim determination.

"You know they're not gonna let us just waltz in and ask where our friends are." Rowen said. Ryo nodded.

"But it never hurt to use the front entrance. We're guests after all."

"Uninvited guests." Greyoko reminded him. "And they could very well throw us out on our asses naked as the day we were born and we'd have nothing to show for it but an enslaved mortal realm."

"Way to keep up the optimism, Greyoko." Ryo said dryly. Greyoko grinned.

"Just saying." She said, and Rowen's lip twitched, suppressing a grin.

"Well, we'd better keep moving. We gotta cover as much ground as we can before they send someone out after us. It's gonna be a tough fight from here to the finish line, you guys ready?" Ryo was pumped for this, they all were, but each of them was more afraid than they cared to admit. They were in another realm of existence entirely, cut off from all they knew and held dear save the ones they had come to save, and if they weren't careful, this would be their final resting places. It was a lot to absorb.

But that was what they did for a living.

"I am concerned that Lady Kayura failed to procure the one Sukufan Guardian that could be of any real use to us." Dayus said mildly, although his contempt showed in his one good eye. Kayura stood between the three Dark Warlords, looking as calm and cocky as ever, and even managed a dainty chuckle or two at their 'concerns'.

"I assure you, I know exactly what I have done, my dear Dayus, Lord of Illusions. It is not by coincidence that I left Princess Greyoko behind. She would be no use to us until she absorbed considerable energy to replenish her own."

"You plan to put her in the presence of Ansequia?" Cale asked, daring to speak the Abomination's name. Kayura glanced at him sidelong, smiling.

"That's right. With both Sparks sealed and within Master Talpa's grasp, he can move in and out of the Netherworld without much need for the mystical armors. But with the armors, he would be unstoppable." Talpa watched the exchange, red eyes glowing beneath his helm.

**I AM VERY PLEASED WITH YOUR PROGRESS, LADY KAYURA. PRAY, MY WARLORDS, CALM YOUR TROUBLED MINDS. LADY KAYURA WILL NOT FAIL ME. SHE WOULDN'T DARE. **And Kayura's resultant smile for the entire world seemed genuine in its eagerness to please her master. She bowed and excused herself, leaving the Warlords to question just how much their lives were worth with Kayura now at the forefront of this new attempt to merge with the mortal realm. Sekhmet seemed particularly troubled that the Abomination would be brought into the game once more, after so many centuries asleep.

That did not bode well for anyone who still had flesh to call their own.

As they retreated from the throne room, Sekhmet returned to his private chambers, eager to strip off his armor in a way he never had been before. For some reason, wearing it seemed more cumbersome in recent days than before, when wearing it had lifted his spirits and heightened his awareness of the worlds around him. He banished his sub-armor as well, and surveyed himself in the mirror, sweat making his green hair slightly stringy, gleaming on his pale skin. Scales, green and yellow in nature, snaked along his torso and neck, a product of Talpa's meddling. He had been a normal man when Talpa came to him, and after realizing he could not wear the Armor of Venom without being changed, had succumbed to Talpa's powers, and had been given the attributes of a viper. Thus his eyes, and the scales…and the venom in his fangs.

Then Ansequia was brought into the fold, and he realized that while he had been physically stripped of most of his humanity, that he had not be spiritually leeched of it entirely. Some of it still gasped for air, drowning in the venom of his existence, and when Talpa ordered Ansequia to be tutored beneath him, he indulged her every whim, spoiling her even like the princess she was.

She had been magnificent…at first. He was proud of her quick learning, and her eagerness to please. What he had not been proud of, was her willingness to lose control of that other side of her that made her such a formidable weapon. Where once the weapon that was Ansequia could be directed and retrieved seamlessly, she became a loose canon; she killed her own men when it pleased her (or when they displeased her), and during their spars, she sought to harm instead of settling for drawing First Blood. It was no small wonder she'd earned names like 'Heart Eater' for her love of devouring the hearts of children; 'Dream Ender' for her power to submerge herself in the subconscious of another and warp their dreams into nightmares that usually resulted in their untimely death; and Abomination, for her willingness to betray Master Talpa when his whim was not enough to please her…as if she had a choice. It had taken a lot of Talpa's resources to seal her away successfully, and now he was agreeing to nudge at the hornet's nest again.

Sekhmet wondered if it was pity for her he was feeling, or a dawning fear that Ansequia's fury which had no doubt been building would find a target in him—the only one who had spoken against her binding.

Kayura was pleased. Indeed she was more so because her plan was coming together nicely. She could feel the energy thrumming through the sword Talpa had crafted from the stolen power of the Ronins. Although she was not going to be the one using it, she definitely liked the weight of it in her hand. It was light, despite its size, and upon its serrated blade was inscribed spells to cause pain when the blade struck a victim. Kayura envied whom she was delivering the weapon to, but she knew that this was merely a preliminary step in Master Talpa's plan.

Briefly, Kayura found herself thinking of last run-in with the Ronins.

As she delivered the sword to Talpa's general, she watched, hiding her sneer behind a smile as he tested the blade, pleased that Talpa was at last giving him his due. Kayura excused herself, knowing what the outcome of this battle would be. She retreated to the home Talpa had built for her, as she was kept separate from the Warlords, who were quartered in the palace proper.

Her hand went to the heavy, ornate amulet on her chest, and she began to doubt.

In her last battle with the Ronins, Anubis had intervened, but not before her amulet had been damaged by the warriors. And that cursed monk had summoned the bridge to take them into the Netherworld. Had they passed through a Nethergate they might have perished and lost the battle before it began.

_They are free because you cannot walk in the purest of light, Kayura_. Anubis had said to her, but he never made a move to harm her, and she wondered if luring the Ronins and their companions into this deadly trap was truly the right thing to do.

Nonsense. Master Talpa had done everything for her; raised her as he would a warrior-son of his own, despite her being so young. He had given her every courtesy and immense leniency and power. She was the darling of the Netherworld, feared and respected as a powerful warrior in her own right.

And she was miserable inside.

**YOU HAVE PLEASED ME A GOOD DEAL THIS DAY, MY DEAR LADY KAYURA…**

Talpa's voice passed through her like a dark wind and she looked up, blinking away her tears.

"Master Talpa! You startled me!" She cried. If the demon helm that masked Talpa's true face could grin any wider, it did. He stood over her while she knelt, lovely in her luxurious robes, the heavy amulet on her breast growing heavier in his presence, shackling her will anew to coincide with his.

**YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU VICTORY OVER THE REMAINING WARRIORS TODAY. YOU HAVE SINGLEHANDEDLY ASSURED MY CONQUEST OF THE MORTAL WORLD WILL BE SEAMLESS.**

"My life is but to serve you, Master." Kayura said demurely, bowing her head as Talpa laughed his approval, unabashedly pleased with his own scheme, and the fact that Kayura was once more deep within his thrall.

But the seed of doubt had taken root, and it was not one easily dug up from a heart of stone.

"This is not good." Rowen said grimly. An army of the Dynasty's warriors, including those elites in golden armor, faced them down. Leading them was one of Talpa's Warlords, and he looked even meaner than the gold elites. The battle was a step away from starting and almost immediately, Greyoko had her doubts, but she remembered Anubis' words to her, murmured in private.

_Do not doubt yourself, nor your friends, or all of you will perish._

She knew if she began to doubt, the battle was already lost, so she did the only thing that would win this fight: she fought.

They all fought, and gods there was no end to these warriors. The Dynasty had rolled out the longest welcome mat of all time, and they were no closer to their goal. Ryo and Rowen's attacks cut seemingly huge swaths of the endless army but always they were replaced by new soldiers.

"Ryo! We have to retreat! This is a losing battle we're fighting, here!" Rowen cried as he fired off another Arrow Shock Wave. The blaze of light incinerated a path of retreat into the army. Netsui summoned an inferno to keep the army at bay, mostly for Greyoko's protection than anything. Ryo knew they were on their last dregs of strength, and time passed so gods-damned slow in this realm, that what felt like hours to them was actually no more than an hour before they were exhausted. This place sapped their strength and yet…

"Do you feel that?" Ryo asked. Rowen paused, locked in combat with a golden warrior.

"It's them, isn't it? The guys!" He could feel them. They were alive, but barely. Ryo felt a second wind coming along, and summoned another Flare Up, bigger than the last…but he knew afterward he'd have no strength to repeat the process.

Greyoko did not dare deplete her strength and scream, for she risked harming the Ronins as well as their enemies. As the warriors continued, the Warlord called out for his troops to hold. At once the entire battlefield went still and the Warlord approached, his soldiers opening a path for him.

"I wish to fight this one called Ryo of the Wildfire," he sneered in his nasally voice, "your friends have been very generous to me in crafting this sword from the strength of their armors." He kept his soulless eyes on Ryo, who could barely stand.

"You won't get near him!" Netsui hissed, her eyes flaring angrily. The Warlord settled on her a moment, considering. Then, he swung his sword in a wide arc and there was a momentary silence…and then it seemed as if the entire world had struck them at once.

Greyoko skidded along the smooth ground, landing not too far from Rowen, who would have surely died if not for his armor's protection. The Warlord was laughing, and he swung again, only at Ryo, who was weakened from blow after blow.

That was, until Kayura stepped in, and things took a turn from bad to worse. There was no way Ryo's armor could protect him from Kayura and that demon sword for too much longer.

Kayura was waiting for a challenge, and indeed she would have one, but not from where she expected. Rowen watched, mystified as the remaining Dark Warlords appeared to form a protective ring around Ryo. They seemed unable to control their own will, and he saw the virtues that Kaos had imbued in their armor appear on their foreheads. Something had changed the entire game; in a way he knew Kayura had not expected as the Warlords channeled their power into the fallen Ryo.

And the Inferno Armor was summoned again.

Lady Kayura did not flee this time around, and while the lesser warlord would without a doubt not live long in the next few moments, she knew she could pit her skills and power against that of the Inferno Armor. Ryo, sensing the immense power of the armor in him, was renewed, and this time he had the Soul Swords of Fervor to complete his attack as White Blaze joined him as his counterpart, Black Blaze.

Kayura called down the power of Starlight, and here in the Netherworld, her strength seemed multiplied.

Ryo called down the Rage of Inferno, and the resultant light from the clash blinded everyone, and flashed beyond the Netherworld into the mortal world.

But neither of the mighty warriors had gotten hurt. Kayura stood on the railing of an elegant bridge, eyes narrowed in thought. She had gone toe to toe with the Inferno Armor and a stalemate had been reached. No doubt Talpa would find it interesting.

Badammon appeared, watching the Ronin retreat to lick their wounds as he collected the Dark Warlords and bound them anew.

"It would seem the tide is turning, Lady Kayura." He mused thoughtfully.

"Mmm." Came Kayura's response as she watched White Blaze carry Ryo, and Rowen carried Greyoko to a safe spot where they could hide and recuperate.

"There's no way…" Mia whispered as she looked at the sky, which looked as bright as day from the supernatural light that flashed in the clouds. Anubis looked grim.

"A great battle has taken place. I only hope the outcome is favorable to us." He said. Mia glanced at him and hugged her arms.

"If it isn't, I think we'll know sooner than we'd like…" She murmured as an unnatural wind whipped through her hair. "We'd better go inside. It looks like it's going to get nasty out." They retreated into the house, where Mia sat in front of her computer to pour over more of her grandfather's extensive research on all the lore surrounding the Ronins and the origins of their armors. That was when Anubis saw it.

"What is that?" He asked, alarmed. "I have seen that symbol before. Talpa used it once." Mia rubbed her temples, typed some more to magnify the symbol and trying to decode her grandfather's encryption around whatever the symbol was supposed to mean.

"It looks like a map of some kind," she murmured wearily, "but I don't know what the map means. It's all jumbled—oh here we go! It says here there's a temple built by Kaos' clan to house a great artifact. If I'm reading this right, it goes by the name 'Jewel of Life'." Mia smiled her knowing smile, having stumbled onto something great. Anubis shut his eyes, trying to recall where he'd heard the term before. Talpa had used that symbol, he was certain, but how could he be certain of what he saw when he was not supposed to be privy to the ritual?

He remembered then when Kayura had come into the fold, barely a girl-child. And he remembered Talpa bragging about how Kaos would never win now that they had her.

Gods, no wonder he couldn't…

"Mia, we must find this artifact—this Jewel of Life…I feel it may be vital to the Ronins in their battle." Mia got right on it, her scholarly side excited to be working on a new archeological mystery. The map slowly broke into smaller pieces, reforming as the disk was decoded.

"What do we do, now?" Anubis asked, unable to decipher any of the strange writing on the glowing screen. Mia leaned back in her chair, rubbing her face with her hands.

"We wait. It's all we can do since I've broken the code. Just have to wait for the computer to decipher the result." Anubis felt agitated, wondering if what he surmised was true. If so, that meant he would have to go into the Netherworld, which would leave Mia unprotected.

He hoped Greyoko was okay, wishing he hadn't sent her into danger without being by her side. He found it strange that he wanted to be by her side, at all. He was much closer to her now, and he remembered her reaction when he'd kissed her, unsure of why he'd done it.

She looked beautiful when she flushed with embarrassment, and there was innocence about her that battle could not touch. She had trained her entire life to rescue a sister she hated, and all that time had no room for matters of the heart. Anubis knew that now her heart was being set on him, and he couldn't have thought of a bigger mistake…and yet he was satisfied with it. In the past, he would have taken that innocence and defiled it for his own pleasure. Now, it excited him for different reasons. It meant whatever burgeoned between them would be pure and fervent on her end.

"Anubis?" He realized Mia had been speaking to him for some time. Anubis blinked.

"I'm sorry…I was thinking…" He murmured.

"I noticed." Mia said dryly. "The map's deciphered…apparently the temple is hidden under the lake not too far from here—about an hour's drive. Obviously I can't go it alone, so we're going to have to get going." Anubis glanced out of the window.

"When the storm clears. Right now, it is not safe to be on the road." Mia smiled.

"Scared of a little lightning?" She asked teasingly. Anubis smiled back.

"Times change, but the circumstances remain the same. A traveler who is not cautious soon ends up hurt or worse." Mia nodded, not daring to disagree, especially since they were dealing with enemies who followed a similar line of thought.

By the time the storm cleared, Mia had fallen asleep on a window seat, and Anubis had to come wake her, shaking her gently to let her know he was ready to leave. Hiding a yawn behind her hand, she fumbled around for her car keys and put on a jacket and a pair of sturdy jeans and boots. Once they were on the road, Anubis relaxed. The Japanese countryside had not changed overmuch in the time since he had last seen it as a man. Save for the modern accoutrements mankind had placed in some areas, and the city they were leaving in their wake, it remained ever-peaceful and reminded him of a time he wished he had not taken for granted. He had worked tirelessly to please his family, one of the wealthiest in their province, and highly favored by the shogun of that time. Being a second son, he was of little importance to his father, although his mother doted on him. And a mother's dotage did not compare to a father's esteem in those days. He had become a great warrior in an effort to please the only people who mattered to him, the shogun be damned.

And they had not accepted him. His mother had shaken her head in dismay, and his father had lauded his brother, a gods damned scholar, with praise. So Anubis—then, Douji Shuten—sought more power to create a clan of his own. That was when Talpa came to him, with dark promises of power and esteem the likes of which he had never dreamed in his short years. And at a young, wild age he had been seduced by those promises and was bequeathed the Armor of the Ogre, and became thence the Warlord of Cruelty.

He glanced at Kaos' staff, and marveled at how in a way, Kaos had seduced him with promises of a better life than the one he lived. The only difference was Kaos' promise was not broken, like Talpa's had been, and Anubis' nature of unquestionable loyalty had been swayed to the one who had not betrayed him. He had found the path of the monk a much more desirable path, albeit harder…and already he'd found someone to share—

"You keep wandering off like that, and we'll lose you for good." Mia laughed. Anubis glanced sidelong at her as she drove.

"I was just musing on my life. A lot to muse over…four hundred years." Mia's smile softened.

"Do you love her?" She asked and Anubis looked startled, eyes widening a little and Mia found herself seeing what Greyoko probably once saw, only she knew whatever he hid behind those eyes was not for her…would never be for her.

"Love who?" Anubis asked lamely. Mia frowned.

"I may not be a warrior like the rest of you, but I'm not daft, either. Do you love her?" Anubis knew who she was talking about, and sighed.

"It is too soon to call it 'love', Mia. Attracted to her strongly? Who would not be? But she and I will likely never be given the chance to venture down that path."

"Because you're a monk." Mia guessed. Anubis shook his head.

"I was not sworn to celibacy, if that's what you mean. No, I suspect it has more to do with the shackles of her own responsibilities than my being a pacifist." He laughed, almost bitterly. "Fate is not without a sense of irony. I did not have the time or capacity for love in my former life; and it seems now that I do, it is the other that does not have the time or capacity." Mia looked concerned.

"You think she doesn't love you?" She asked, and there was something welling in her, almost like a glimmer of hope, and she felt repulsed that she hoped it was true, and thrilled at the prospect that it might be.

"I don't think that's what is keeping us apart. Her damnable sister is trapped in Talpa's thrall, as well as her comrades. Once her sister is freed, her mission will be complete, and she will have to return home. She is a princess in her own realm, and as such, she is likely betrothed to some foreign potentate as befits women of her stature." Mia noted the bitter tone in his voice.

"Is that what she told you…or are you simply guessing?" Anubis glanced out of the window, watching the scenery go by, and wishing that Mia would keep her mouth shut on matters that did not concern her.

"It's how it always is." He murmured. Mia did not pry any further, having realized that it was no unrequited love that kept the two apart, just circumstances. Anubis was no longer able to lay claim to any nobility, save in the past. He was a simple monk, and Greyoko was a foreign warrior-princess here to rescue the heir to the throne—he older sister. She felt pity for Anubis, only because he'd found love on a more peaceable path than the one he walked previously…and the one person he wanted to walk that path with was the one who would traverse it in a gilded carriage, drawn by well-bred matched white horses and a crown on her head.

Mia sighed. It was going to be a long night.


	6. The Guttering Flame

**Author's (long ass) Note:** I'm trying to work on pacing, I promise. Other than that, I'm kind of pleased with the story thus far. I usually dislike my own work but this was such a nostalgic fic for me, and the dialogue and characters are all polished, that while proofing I found myself following and enjoying it a lot. I'm trying to keep within the continuation of the show itself while tweaking a few discrepancies I noticed, like how the Jewel of Life is the only weapon that can beat Talpa (yet no one explains why or how it works), and how the Inferno Armor was never really elaborated upon as far as origin since the armors are pieces of Talpa's power itself. It seemed like a bunch of plot devices that never really got their potential respected, so I'm taking liberties to tie these things together with some semblance of consistency while adding original cast members without having them overshadow the main characters as is the mistake so many authors (including myself) tend to make. As with all disclaimers, Ronin Warriors is not my property, but the aforementioned cast members known as the Sukufan Guardians, Ansequia, Shanindola, Empress Ya'kini, and anyone mentioned from the Illiyan Realms (including Mir'Ajans) are all mine, federal copyright and all. Carry on! 3

East of Toyama By Avec Classe

"Do you think this Jewel of Life will help us? I mean, no one has been to this temple since it was built, and I'm surprised no one has discovered the Jewel before now." Mia said as Anubis helped her down the slope of the magically parted lake. The path led directly into the indolent yawn of the temple's stone doorway, and while it had been built by men of honor, valor, and justice, it didn't look any less foreboding.

"If you are reluctant, I can venture in alone." Anubis offered, but Mia would not be daunted from stumbling upon what may have been the greatest archeological find in Western Japan just because of a little darkness. She set her jaw and made her way down the remainder of the slope. Anubis was as nimble as a mountain goat, the warrior bastard.

"Alright, so when we find this Jewel of Life, what then? We go to the Netherworld?" She asked as they approached the entrance." Anubis glanced at her sidelong.

"We? Gods no. I'll go, but I would never subject you to the horrors of that place, Mia." Mia stopped walking and Anubis turned to face her. She placed her hands on her hips and fixed him with a glower.

"Anubis, if it weren't for me, the Ronins would still be trying to find where Talpa scattered them when this whole thing started. If it weren't for me, they'd still be in the dark about most of what the Dynasty is about, and gods help me, but if it weren't for me, we wouldn't be standing here right now looking for the Jewel of Life. I'm going with you; I may not be much of a fighter, but I've made it this far. I'd appreciate a little respect, if you don't mind." Anubis blinked, and he felt the color rise to his cheeks in embarrassment. Mia, satisfied that her rant had hit its mark, continued determinedly forward into the temple proper. Anubis followed, thoroughly chastised.

Mia made a sound of delight as she found she wouldn't need her flashlight after all when the interior of the temple was lit from within, but she saw no torches or candles. The light was pleasant and warm, and she glanced around the damp walls at the untouched suits of armor and the murals on the walls depicting the battles against evil in Kaos' clan. Just a picture of all this would bring back the luster of her grandfather's name at the universities. It would make history all the way to America. Maybe even get a tour in the Smithsonian…she smiled. That would come later, after they kicked Dynasty ass.

"Oh Anubis, look!" Mia cried as she exited the hall into the domed interior of the temple. Golden light flooded the room and though Anubis was still, they both heard the familiar chime of the staff, as if it were responding to what was housed within these walls. Mia stepped forward to the altar where she saw it.

At first glance one could almost dismiss it as a trinket, a mere bauble crafted from crude hemp, and dull beads. At second glance, one knew it was something more. Mia's eyes were as wide as saucers as she reached with trembling hands to touch the Jewel of Life—the weapon that had remained hidden beneath this lake for well over a thousand years. Anubis watched, the hairs on his nape prickling at the familiar sense of danger. They were not alone.

"We didn't think it existed." A sibilant voice rasped with a laugh. "But gods be damned, Talpa was right to fear. Now we can take it and destroy this entire world without use of the Abomination." Anubis whirled, staff tilted at the ready and Mia gasped, the Jewel clasped in her hands. The golden elite warriors of the Dynasty stepped forward, while their leader, a no-account general Anubis had never bothered to notice, stepped between them.

"Kill them." He said, and the warriors surged forward.

"Ryo, wake up…" Greyoko shook the Ronin, keeping her voice down. They had fled the battle after Ryo summoned the Inferno Armor to drive back Kayura and her forces, and their only cover and shelter now was this outcropping of rocks. She knelt in the golden waters, no longer captivated by the beauty of this place, and instead horrified that Talpa's forces were rallying to assault the mortal world with unnecessary force. Rowen and Netsui stood guard while Ryo recovered. When his eyes opened, Greyoko breathed a sigh of relief and made a sign with her hands.

"Thank the Goddess, you're alive." She said smiling, helping him it up.

"This is really getting on my nerves," Ryo muttered rubbing his head. Rowen glanced at him.

"Tell me about it. But that's not important. Ryo you need to know that the Dark Warlords helped you summon the Inferno Armor."

Everyone stared at Rowen, mouth agape. Rowen knelt in the ankle deep water, which looked no longer golden, but a murky yellow, as if it were muddy.

"It was weird; I saw their virtues on their foreheads. Just like when Anubis switched over to our side that one time. They were fighting you at first, and then when Kayura moved to kill you, they blocked her…and then they poured their powers into your armor." Greyoko hadn't seen that, having been crippled by that infernal sword the other warlord was using. Ryo frowned.

"We can't waste our time trying to speculate about their loyalties, Rowen, we've still gotta go find the others and free them and end this thing once and for all." Rowen nodded.

"And just how do you expect to do that Ryo of Wildfire?" Netsui demanded. Greyoko blinked. Netsui sounded angry, and she usually wasn't. "Do you see what just happened to us back there when we rushed in without any kind of plan? That warlord, whom we probably could have beaten on even ground, downed us with one swing of his sword. To add insult to injury, Kayura stepped in and nearly killed all of us. Had the Warlords not experienced doubt in their loyalties to Talpa, we'd be dead. Do you understand me, Ryo? _Dead_." Ryo almost got up to attack her, but his battered body cried out in alarm and he winced.

"You think I don't know that? You think I care? I'm trying to save my friends while the rest of you seem content with sitting on your asses and 'planning' all damn day!" Netsui regarded him calmly.

"Ryo, you are their leader, but if you keep rushing blindly into the fight, eventually you'll run into the ends of Kayura's swords. This is twice you have gotten lucky and managed to summon the Inferno Armor without the aid of the others…do not expect to be so lucky a third time. Talpa needs our friends alive for whatever he's got planned, so we have to be smarter. We're in his world, now, so the rules in our own do not apply."

"She's right, Ryo." Rowen agreed. "We've been trying to play by our rules since we got here, and we've had our asses handed to us six ways from Sunday. We have to start playing like them. We have to get quiet and keep our heads down. They know what we're trying to do, and they're waiting for us to come in shrieking and waving our weapons. We don't have an army to back us—they do. So we have to be sneaky."

"What you suggest is dishonorable, Rowen of the Strata," Netsui said quietly, and then a smile tugged the corners of her full mouth. "I like it." Ryo sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Shit…shit…_shit_. Alright, we'll go the stealth route, but we do it right. We can't engage anyone and risk getting our asses kicked again. They know we're beaten right now, and they know we're fucking tired. So we have to get some rest until we can find a way inside the place where our friends are being held. Are we green on this?"

"Green." The others murmured in unison. Then, they decided it was safe enough to sleep, although the fear of an ambush kept them all awake, so the sleep was fitful at best.

And Greyoko found herself wishing Anubis was here to hold her hand.

Five elite warriors descended upon the pair, brandishing weapons, each nastier looking than the last. Mia choked on a scream, but Anubis was faster. Although his fighter's spirit was tempered with his reluctance to harm others, his desire to protect Mia from harm was his driving muse. He dispatched the guards easily enough, but the battle had carried him to the other side of the atrium, where the leader could dispatch Mia easily. She had her eyes shut, ready to accept her fate, but the blow never landed.

"You…" the general croaked, "…traitorous spawn…" Anubis' eyes flashed fiercely, but he did not offer a retort as he would have in the past. This man had been nothing to him then, and he was nothing to him now.

Unfortunately, the battle was not over. More Dynasty warriors had come as back up, but Anubis found he did not have to fight. He watched as previously empty suits of armor came to life. Kaos' entire clan had been entombed here, he remembered, and they fought the warriors with a vengeance that had marinated over millennia. Mia opened her eyes, gasping at the sight as she hovered just behind Anubis' shoulder.

When it was done, the armor suits creaked as they knelt before the staff, which chimed in response. And Anubis heard Kaos' voice…

_You who have freed these weary souls, have been bequeathed with the Jewel of Life. In the hands of those who are pure of heart, it is capable of great good, and in the hands of those who are tainted, it is capable of great evil. Take this Jewel with our clan's gratitude that evil might die and good endure._

With that, white smoke seeped from the armor suits, which remained kneeling, and there they would stay until someone rediscovered the temple. Anubis and Mia fled, not trusting that they were entirely safe. As they climbed the slope of the lake, Mia breathed a sigh of relief.

"That…that was actually awesome." She murmured and Anubis smiled.

"Yes, I suppose it was. Is that it?" He asked. Mia held out her hand.

"Here, I'm guessing you need it more than I do in the Netherworld, huh?" Anubis took the Jewel, examining it. So much trouble over so small a thing, and Talpa feared it, more than he would ever admit. Yes, they would need it in the Netherworld, but this was not a weapon meant to be wielded in his hands. He placed it around Mia's neck, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"It is to be used by the pure hearted, and I've seen no heart purer than yours, Mia." Anubis murmured. Mia tried to keep from beaming with pride, but she couldn't help it. They climbed back into her car and drove home in silence, preparing for the journey into the Netherworld.

Talpa was briefed on the shifting loyalties of his Dark Warlords, whom he had never fully trusted to begin with. They were human at one point and what was it those mortals said? To err was human? Well the Warlords had erred, and Talpa was not one to let them go on a warning that death would be the only answer to a second slip. If they wanted to follow Anubis' example, well…when he killed Anubis, they'd be dissuaded, of a surety. Instead, he summoned Kayura. She appeared instantly, kneeling and ready to do her master's bidding. He had bound her up tight under his thrall, as he had Ansequia. He found the women that were drawn into his service much harder to control than the men, and thus they were more volatile. Women—he would begrudgingly admit—were a great deal smarter in the art of betrayal and deception than men, and he would not risk loosing two vipers at his back and expecting them to be well-behaved.

**I have a mission for you, but it would require the use of a certain item.**

"Anything for you, Master Talpa," she breathed, excited at the prospect of being given more power. Talpa chuckled and produced a drawstring pouch. He tipped it and golden dust spilled onto the carpet between them. It swirled of its own accord, shifting according to Talpa's will.

**This is all that remains of the Blade of CompulsioN.** He saw Kayura's smile, and approved**, use it on the Dark Warlords, and it will bind them tightly to your will. But use it sparingly. There has ever only been one Blade of Compulsion…a pinch for each of them will suffice.** There was a sound like a sudden intake of breath and the golden dust was sucked back into the pouch, which he dropped at Kayura's feet.

**The monk is coming.** Talpa said, **And I suspect he's bringing the Jewel of Life with him. Should you cross paths with him, Lady Kayura, use the dust on all of them.** Kayura looked up sharply.

"All of whom, master?" Talpa tightened his fist, imagining the world within his grasp.

**All of them. Ronins, Guardians, Warlords, and that gods-damned perfidious monk. **_**All**_** of them, Kayura. Now go.** Kayura did not question his will, and merely bowed deep in acquiescence, vanishing with the pouch in hand. Talpa summoned Badammon, next. He had felt the doubt in Kayura's mood, and he vowed after Anubis' betrayal to always have a contingency plan should one of his servants seek to follow suit.

**Badammon, I have an assignment for you regarding Lady Kayura.**

The time difference in the Netherworld was no difference at all, and while one would expect eternal darkness in a world that spawned an evil being like Talpa, the golden light and endless stars and waters of the Netherworld persisted. They relied only on their bodies to keep track of the passage of time, sleeping long enough to be alert when they awoke. Then it was onward, in silence—always in silence. They said little, and what little rations they had brought with them for sustenance ran out, and they were forced to drink the water…after sufficient boiling. When they saw Dynasty soldiers patrolling, they hid, hating that they had been forced to run from battle, relieved when the patrols passed by them and they continued deeper into the stronghold.

"How do we know where they are being kept?" Greyoko wondered as they crouched behind one ruined wall, watching as the castle loomed ever closer.

"I can feel them," Rowen said evenly, "they're still alive, and they're in that castle. We just have to get in and find them."

"I cannot feel any of the Guardians…" Greyoko whispered with worry. "…where could Talpa be keeping them?" Netsui took her hand and squeezed it not unlike how Anubis had done before, but it did not have the same effect. Still, it was reassuring to have one of her countrymen left to her. To be the sole Sukufanian representing the Sukufan resistance against the Dynasty was unsettling. They watched as guards patrolled, and then they heard the sounds of battle some yards off. Trading puzzled glances, the group debated whether they should investigate.

"Talpa could not countenance infighting when he needs cohesion for his invasion to work…especially when he's still looking for us." Netsui whispered.

"Yeah, he may not want his Warlords fighting amongst themselves, but if there's a fight to be had, we better get in. Maybe one of the guys finally got out…" Ryo sounded hopeful but the others doubted so farfetched a hope would come true. So they went.

What they discovered was hope in a new form, and it wore Anubis' face. Greyoko could not help it, she let loose a raucous shout of triumph as she watched Anubis seamlessly work his way through a contingent of Dynasty warriors. Mia…what was Mia doing there? Anubis had erected a temporary shield of magic around her, and she looked ashen with fright as he whirled and defended, sweat shining on his elegant brow, auburn hair flowing around him like a fiery pennant of war, his robes flying about, and the chime of that damnable staff ringing a victory like a clarion call to arms.

The warriors answered.

Ryo summoned the strength to cut a swath with a Flare Up, coupled with Netsui's own Divine Flame. Rowen's Arrow Shock Wave brought the battle to a momentary standstill as new players entered the fray. They climbed onto the floating barge Anubis and Mia had commandeered for their entry into the Netherworld. Anubis stood serenely, looking every bit the warrior and every bit the monk.

And Greyoko knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was falling in love with him.

"You came." She whispered and Anubis smiled at her knowingly. Her eyes roamed over him for any signs of wounds, blinking back tears of relief when she saw only one that had ripped his robes and put a gash on his forearm.

"Mia what are you doing here?" Ryo asked, then looked at Anubis. "Why would you bring her here of all places?" Mia frowned.

"I didn't leave him much choice," she argued, "and besides I brought a weapon to be used against Talpa." She pointed to the necklace she was wearing which was largely out of place with her clothing. Greyoko's brows rose.

"We found the Jewel of Life in a hidden temple built by Kaos' clan," Anubis explained, "we were attacked, but it was revealed to us that this artifact was created to be an alternative power source for the armors…it can eliminate Talpa and free the world of his taint forever." Greyoko wasn't sure why it rubbed her the wrong way that Anubis and Mia had been on some exploratory mission in an old temple alone together. Netsui was watching her, so she schooled her expression to calm.

"So we can keep the armor without needing to draw from Talpa's power?" Rowen wondered. Mia nodded.

"Yes, but if it falls to the Dynasty it will destroy everything. I had to come. Anubis can't wield it, and I'd be in grave danger had he left me alone anyway, now that they know what I know." It made sense, but Greyoko still didn't like Mia being so close to Anubis. Still, she held back, turning her eyes to the castle ahead.

"Still got some fight left in you, I hope." Ryo said to Anubis. Anubis merely grinned, canting his head a fraction in a way that made him unerringly beautiful and made Greyoko's heart stumble. She saw Mia's expression, and refrained from frowning. This was silly, this jealousy she felt that was probably born from nothing more than insecurity. She had a battle to win, and it was only just getting started.

Like a bad ache that would not leave, Lady Kayura was there to greet them, and this time, the Warlords were with her, but they were arguing her down to let them handle the Ronins and curry favor with Talpa for their previous transgression…but Kayura had her orders.

She balanced a pouch from the tip of her finger, her smirk belying the excitement that thrummed in her blood as surely as a heartbeat. With a soft chuckle that was no more than a passing breeze with the scent of her cherry blossom perfume, she allowed the gold dust to filter from the bag.

"What is _that_?" Greyoko asked. Anubis knew what it was and almost immediately he thundered, "Get behind me!"

Using the staff, he erected a shield as the dust passed over them.

"Do not let it touch you, or you will be bound to her will." Anubis grated. Already, the Warlords were writhing in agony as their will was forcibly stripped from them. Well, not so much stripped as it was sealed away out of their reach. They turned obediently to face the Ronins, Guardians, and Anubis. The dust had cleared and Kayura would not gainsay Talpa and waste it trying to break the shield. Instead, she ordered the Warlords to attack, and they did…in force.

Anubis went to engage her while the others were kept busy defending themselves and Mia, who was cowering in the back awning of the barge, unsure of how to activate the Jewel of Life.

"You are too late to save them, monk!" Kayura's voice sounded much more powerful, indeed Talpa had made her drunk on the power he gave her. Her sword locked with his staff, and teal eyes met midnight blue, one full of delight, the other filled with grim determination.

"Kayura you are blinded by Talpa's perfidy, you must free yourself before it was too late." Anubis pleaded. He hated—in that moment—the mission Kaos had bequeathed him. He hated this nonviolent path, this steely resolve to be a better man that would likely cost him his life trying to save this bloodthirsty child.

He would have to strike her down.

Kayura called down her starlight, and Anubis could not retreat this time. He bore the full brunt of her attack, the staff absorbing the lethal part of the blow, while he felt the energy frying him. He cried out, and he was briefly aware of Greyoko shrieking his name. She was coming to interfere. He could not let her. Quickly, Anubis came after Kayura as she geared up to call down the starlight again, and as he brought his staff down, Kayura looked up, eyed wide. Anubis was the only one who saw it…the child within her screaming to be freed from Talpa's power. Anubis felt a buffer as the staff stopped short, the orb glowing, and illuminating Kayura's awestruck face.

"No!" She shrieked and jumped back for a retreat. Greyoko skidded to a stop at Anubis' side, preparing to attack but Anubis halted her as Kayura vanished, angry and confused. Anubis looked at the staff, partially horrified. Why hadn't it struck her down? Surely no one had deserved it more than this insolent girl? Anubis did not have time to speculate as Greyoko pulled him away, the building he and Kayura had been battling on crumbling beneath their feet.

"You had her right there. _Right there_. What the hell happened?" Ryo demanded later, when they had retreated, no closer to their goal than before. Everyone looked grim, and everyone wanted to know why Anubis had been unable to eliminate their biggest obstacle: Lady Kayura.

"The staff would not strike her down. It simply would not allow me to. I tried, but it resisted." Anubis said, knowing they would never understand. Mia's brows furrowed in concern.

"You mentioned Talpa took you when you were only a human warlord working for the shogun. Perhaps he took Kayura at a young age…"

"That doesn't explain why the staff was adamant about her being left alive." Greyoko said shortly. Mia hesitated, noting the edge in the girl's voice, but didn't comment.

"Mayhap she is connected to Kaos in some way. Only one of Kaos' line can wield the staff, is it not so?" Netsui asked. Anubis nodded.

"The only reason I wield it now is because Kaos' mission was not complete and he tasked me with it. What it is, I do not know…but Kayura is connected to it, I am sure of it."

"That's not important right now," Ryo snapped, "we need to get in that castle. We need to find our friends, and we need to bring Talpa down. Kayura can wait." Rowen looked pensive.

"She'll keep kicking our asses while she does, especially now that she knows Anubis—who is the most powerful guy we've got—can't touch her." He muttered. On that, they did not disagree. It seemed as if Kayura was more of a threat than Talpa. At least with Talpa, the Inferno Armor had beaten him the first time. Kayura had gone head to head with it and survived.

The odds had never been more stacked against them.

Later, during what they assumed to be the evening, the group rested, and Greyoko joined Anubis on the first watch.

"You are angry with me." Anubis said, glancing at her. Greyoko chewed her lush lower lip.

"No, just wondering where your head is. You seem distracted." She said simply. Anubis sighed, and he felt no less weary for it. Almost instinctively, Greyoko took his hand, and their fingers laced. She found comfort in it and Anubis found his doubts voiced to Mia the other night cast to the back of his mind.

"I am troubled that Kaos has left no clear instructions as to what I am to do. I am not of his line, am not trained in his ways. I am certain an individual of his bloodline would know what to do in such a situation…but I would rather take Kayura by force and free her of Talpa's evil." He did not let go of Greyoko's hand. Greyoko did what she could not do previously, and leaned against him, feeling the warmth of his body against hers for the first time.

"Would you have wanted us to take you by force to see the light when you were hell-bent in your loyalty to Talpa?" She asked him. Anubis looked startled.

"I would have fought you and resisted at every turn had I not seen it for myself…" He trailed off, realizing what he had missed in the heat of battle. Greyoko smiled.

"Even so." She whispered. Anubis met her eyes and then their lips met in a kiss so gentle it seemed fragile.

"I think she needs to discover for herself that Talpa is only using her as an expedient remedy for his problems with us, just as you did…just as the other Dark Warlords almost did before she bound them. Once she begins to doubt for herself, then she will be more willing to accept that choosing to be good is a much better alternative." Anubis smiled, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"I saw it in her eyes today, Greyoko," he murmured, "I saw the doubt…and the fear that what she was doing was wrong. She's trapped in there, but we need to figure out how Talpa is keeping her bound. She wears no mystical armor to hold her to his will…so she has no virtue that will bind her." Anubis brought her hand up, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

"Focus on finding your friends, and let me worry about Kayura." Greyoko wasn't sure if she should feel ashamed for her relief at his words.

"You cannot face her alone." Greyoko said anyway. Anubis put a finger to her lips.

"I may not have to, when the time comes. But until then, we need your friends and the other Ronins free so that we can defeat Talpa once and for all. And once this business with the Dynasty is done, it would be an honor for you to allow me to court you properly, Princess of Sukufan."

Greyoko didn't answer, but Anubis laughed softly at the color that rose in her cheeks. And Mia, who had heard the entire exchange between the pair, felt that fleeting glimmer of hope gutter and die out.


	7. An Ending, A Beginning

**Author's Note:** I am enjoying myself immensely and I hope you keep the reviews coming. I'm considering, once this fic is done, making a companion romance series of one-shots or whatever for the pairings that are sure to come from this…or to make a sequel in which the Ronins likely go to Sukufan when the Guardians need help…I've a few ideas turning in my head, so we'll see. Anyway…here we go…closer to the climax of the show and the fic!

East of Toyama By Avec Classe

Kayura did not return to her personal home after the battle against Anubis. No, she could not return just yet. There was something and someone she had to see. There were so many unanswered questions and newfound doubt in her that she went to the one person who could undoubtedly erase it all.

The tower itself was heavily guarded by nothing less than the most powerful of the Netherspirits, and it was warded even then to assure a delay should what was held within ever break free. However, Kayura was allowed entry, as were the Warlords. She was surprised to find the interior well-tended, albeit darker than most of the dwellings in the stronghold. Kayura ascended the floating staircase that spiraled to the top where the tower opened into a golden-lit atrium. And there she was…the Abomination, a power source unlike any other Talpa could ever procure save the fabled Jewel of Life. She was untouched by time, and Kayura knelt before her in respect, as one would show deference to an elder sibling. Pinioned upon an elaborately sculpted lotus, inscribed with the spells of binding, was Ansequia Matsuri, heir to the Sukufan throne.

Vines sculpted of what looked like gold bound her arms to her body, and her legs together. She was naked and one could see the scars on her skin, silvered with age. Her hair hung limp and lifeless, one half the color of Kayura's own, and the other a dark red so rich it looked like blood. Her eyes were shut, her lips slightly parted as if she had not been bound for a thousand years…merely sleeping until she was ready to engage the world again. Kayura looked up at the woman who would have been her mentor had her bloodlust not superseded her loyalty.

"Ansequia, I am filled with doubt against Talpa," Kayura began her confession, "as you once were when first you crossed paths with Kaos. When Talpa could not find you, and discovered you had deigned it fit to wander with Kaos, that you might understand the futility of his path. Then you came back changed." Kayura looked down, as if trying to make sense of the versions of the story that was told.

"Talpa said you betrayed him, that you were beyond his control." Kayura's hands clenched into fist as tears fell unbidden from her eyes. "But I too have crossed paths with one of Kaos' disciples…and I too begin to doubt the intentions of our master." Kayura felt her voice break slightly as she whispered the names of the Ronins.

"They fight with such conviction; such surety to the task which they believe is right…they defy our master at every turn, even when the odds are stacked against them…they press on when there is no hope. Why, Ansequia? Is that what you saw, when you followed Kaos in his wanderings and witnessed him battling all the evil of the world even when he knew he could not possibly live to see victory?" Kayura buried her face in her hands. Ansequia was silent in her imprisonment, unable to refute or prove the conjecture. Kayura knelt there a long while, and when she emerged from the tower and returned to her home, she found herself doubting even more the intentions of Talpa.

The day came when they found their friends—at least, when the other Ronins were discovered and freed. Part of them knew it was Talpa's desire that they be reunited, that he might crush them all at once and collect their powers without incident; a larger part of them did not care, simply relieved to have freed them.

It was Mia—surprisingly—who was responsible, with the Jewel of Life being the key to freeing the other Ronins from captivity. It had more power than any of them thought possible, and rejoined by their companions, they thought they had the battle in their hands, ready to be won.

The Dark Warlords saw to it that they were reminded that this was not home territory.

In truth, they should have seen such a corny trap coming, but they had not really expected the Warlords to put up much of a fight with the potential of having to fight against the Inferno Armor so near. Kayura joined them as well, although she did precious little, save prove to Seiji, Kento, and Sai what had taken them so gods-damned long to get here to their rescue.

"She is not a joke." Seiji admitted, slightly winded when Kayura bested him without ever using her blades in full. Rowen and Ryo exchanged glances with Netsui, Greyoko, and Anubis, remembering their own futile attempts to stop Kayura.

That's when they all got separated.

"A trap door?" Kento cried. "A trap door? Really? You guys have got to be fucking kidding me!"

They weren't kidding, and as he clung to the slippery sides of the rock-face underground, he spotted Sai.

"For a corny trick, it sure worked on us, didn't it?" He asked with a nervous laugh. There was a sound like scrabbling and then Sai slipped and fell, Kento calling his name out in the darkness.

With the Ronins separated once more and the Warlords tormenting them in battle, it left Greyoko, Netsui, Anubis, and Mia against Kayura. They knew it would not be enough, especially since it was known Anubis could not strike Kayura down even if he wanted to. Kayura smiled coolly at Greyoko.

"You know, I visited one of your friends today. The foul-mouthed one with the scar? I think given another day or so, she will be completely broken to us." Greyoko stiffened, but Anubis stepped near and Kayura noted that she had struck a nerve. Raimei may have been foul-tempered and even more foul-mouthed, but she was a loyal warrior to their cause. She would not be easily broken, even under the cruel hands of Talpa himself.

"Are you sure she can't be struck down?" Greyoko muttered through clenched teeth. Anubis hesitated.

"Not by the staff, no." He confirmed. Greyoko drew her sword.

"Then I'll cut her down myself." She said fiercely and charged forward before anyone could stop her. Kayura's eyes flashed, excited. At last, she could put the runt of the litter to the test without the interference of the Ronins and their powers! She brought her swords up, and Greyoko, splendid in her fury, was fast, almost as fast as Kayura.

Almost.

Kayura brought one sword around in a slash, the other following in a guarding motion, locking Greyoko's blade between before she jerked, and Greyoko lost her footing. Kayura's swords came down, points driving toward the Guardian's chest. She found Kaos' staff blocking the way. Although he could not strike her down, Anubis could defend himself and those in his care. Kayura jumped backward, flipping and tucking so that she rolled back to her feet. Anubis hauled Greyoko to her feet.

"I would advise against making that a repeat performance, Greyoko." He said gravely. Greyoko dusted herself off and retrieved her blade.

"As long as you're here, who needs caution?" She grinned but quelled it when Anubis sent her a reproachful look. Kayura glared at them both.

"You think you can hide behind the monk's staff, Guardian? Ha! I can kill the monk and he won't lay a hand on me…and then I can kill you. I am sure it will please Master Talpa a great deal."

"But Kayura!" It was Mia who spoke. Netsui stood beside her. "…would it please you?" Kayura turned her terrible gaze on the mortal woman.

"You." She saw the Jewel of Life around the girl's neck and almost attacked but Anubis and Greyoko intercepted her. Frustrated, Kayura called down stardust. Greyoko sneezed, and then it became a ball of energy and knocked her clear off her feet. She landed so hard on the ground that it cracked and gave a little…and she did not get up right away.

"Greyoko!" Mia cried, forgetting her resentment and kneeling by Greyoko to see that she was alright.

Anubis engaged Kayura deftly, having seen enough of her tricks to gauge her next move, but he was barely in time to intercept her.

"Stop it!" She cried, frustrated. Anubis locked weapons with her as they had before.

"You feel it, don't you?" He asked. "You feel the doubt. You feel the fear. You feel that your will no longer coincides with that of Talpa's. Fight him, Kayura! Fight him as I once did! Free yourself!" He pleaded. Kayura looked torn for a moment, but then the amulet weighed heavy around her neck, like iron. Anubis saw her hand subconsciously go toward it, and he knew. He knew what held her. Without forethought his hand shot out with lightning speed. With one swift, hard tug, he snatched it from her neck and tossed it aside.

And Kayura shrieked.

It could have torn the sky asunder, as terrible as that shriek was. The amulet landed on the stone floor and shattered, beautiful and golden, but seemed much duller now that it was no longer laced with a working spell. Kayura sank to her knees in sobs, and she realized what she had done, the depths to which she had been forced to sink beneath Talpa's will. She remembered it all.

And she remembered who it was.

"Anubis…?" She whispered, tears welling in her eyes. Anubis held out his hand, and she reached—trembling like a leaf before the storm!—to take it, to free herself. And then she was taken. Badammon appeared and took her from him.

Kayura screamed, sounding no longer like a grown woman and every bit like the child she had been forced to remain. It had all been a game to her; it had been a game and Talpa had kept her in the childlike state to hone the keen-edge of her need to win all the time. Badammon took her, having been forewarned this would happened, and now he was enact the contingency plan. Now he would bind Kayura with his own essence and use her power. They could not let her escape.

She was the last living descendant of Kaos' line, and if she switched sides, the war was lost.

Anubis watched as Kayura vanished, and her shrieks faded. He lowered his head. He had seen it, then. He knew who she was, and the task Kaos had bequeathed him was made clear at last. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had to save Kayura, even at the cost of his own life. He glanced at Greyoko, who had revived and was looking up at him. How could he tell her what they wanted could never be?

They found each other again, but now they were separate from the Guardians, Anubis, and Mia. It was alright, since they only needed the five armors to summon Inferno if needed.

"Where are we?"

"In the netherworld of the Netherworld, I'm guessing." Seiji said jokingly. No one laughed, but they did have a good look around, thanks to Seiji providing the light. They wandered, slightly relieved that they met no more resistance from the Dynasty, but itching to get a little revenge. That's when the heard the moaning.

"It's a trick." Rowen said shortly, but Ryo shook his head. "We still gotta check it out," he reasoned. "Could be one of the Guardians."

"Who could also be used as bait for said trick." Rowen countered. Ryo nearly lost his patience.

"Look, I'm either going in alone, or we're going in together. Either way, I'm not going to abandon a friend in need." In the end, they went together, not wanting to be separated again, even for so small a distance. They found Raimei in chains. Surprisingly, it was Kento who went forward to free her.

"You look like hell." He murmured. Raimei's scarred face lifted to him, and she spat blood.

"Another illusion, Dayus?" She croaked, her dry lips barely able to move. They had cracked and bled in several places, and the swelling from one of her eyes had gone down. She had no armor, and what she wore was in tatters. Gods only knew what else she had endured. Kento looked at the chains that bound her…they were inscribed with strange glowing characters.

"This ain't no trick," Kento reassured her, "the guys and I are here to get you and your friends out of this hellhole." Raimei looked at him absently.

"Where's…Greyoko…you going to fuck me again…?" Her head tipped forward. Kento winced. They hadn't gone through that kind of physical torment. Raimei looked a mess.

"Seiji!" Kento cried. "Gonna need you and Rowen for this one…these chains, they've got magic junk on them and I need precision to get her out." The two Ronins came forward, saw Raimei, and visibly grimaced at her condition. She was chained to the slippery rocks, at the ankles, wrists, and neck. She had sagged to her knees, weak with hunger and physical exhaustion. Even when Seiji swung his sword and Rowen shot an arrow and freed her, she did not seem fully aware of her freedom until Kento hauled her into his arms.

"Come on, girl. You're a tough cookie, don't let these Dynasty swine pull the wool over your eyes and win." He tapped her cheek, careful with her until she believed him, until she realized she was free and this was not one of Dayus' tricks.

"Hardrock…?" She croaked. "…Hardrock!" Kento smiled. Raimei had taken to addressing them by their armor titles; a very militant habit…one he found very endearing.

"Hardrock…you came for me?" She looked almost embarrassed to be seen in such a state. Kento laughed.

"Yeah, I came for you, beautiful. Where are the others? Can you stand?" He set Raimei down tentatively and she wavered, but then stood. With an effort, she summoned her own armor, although it did not clear her bruises and cuts…nor the internal damage she had suffered at the hands of Dayus' depravities.

"They bound our powers with the elements. So simple a spell, and yet effective enough to render us powerless—practically mortal…" She said once she had gulped down water, provided by Sai. "Tonyamii is imprisoned in glass, cut off from all water, and Mayu is imprisoned in water, for water washes away earth. I hope they fared better than I did. Tonyamii is a softer spirit than the rest of us…" Raimei paused, shutting her eyes briefly and turning to face the Ronins.

"I'm sorry," she murmured rubbing her temples, "you have my gratitude for what you have done." The Ronins exchanged glances.

"We weren't gonna abandon a friend in need. You're as good to us as if you were Ronins yourselves." Ryo said extending his hand. Raimei clasped it.

"And you are as important to us as one of our own." She said. Evidently Dayus had worn down that damnable pride and made her realize who her allies were beyond her own brethren. When they found Mayu, she was in no worse shape that Raimei had been. Seiji cut her bindings. She did not respond to their words, merely called her armor in silence, choosing to deal with what she had endured in silence. Sekhmet had been in charge of her torment, and she made no mention of what was done. Raimei could guess…she had heard Mayu's cries during those moments she had attempted to steal what little sleep she could.

Tonyamii, however, was worse.

Having very little command of the human tongues of the world—Japanese, especially—she had not been able to give Cale what he wanted, and Cale, having plunged her into darkness, cut off from her element, had taken from her what he wanted and more. Tonyamii was mute, and when Sai sought to revive her energy, she halfheartedly summoned her armor. Mayu attempted to reassure her, but she shrank away. The Dynasty's cruelties ran deeper than violence, and the Ronins saw it reflected in the faces of the three Guardians.

"We have to get back to the surface," Ryo said. "Once we find the others we can stop Talpa once and for all." The others agreed and they set out, determined to see that no others were subjected to the evil of the Dynasty ever again.

The reunion was short-lived when all warriors were reunited. Greyoko embraced her fellow Guardians with all the fervor of the child she was. The Ronins were simply glad that all was right again. All that was left was to stop Talpa.

"You know this is your fight, Ronins. We can provide support, but it is you, Ryo, who must strike the decisive blow." Netsui said. Ryo looked determined, his jaw set.

"We can do that. Just back us up…with all of us, Talpa can't hope to stop us, now." Anubis looked grim. He knew what his mission was, and he'd have to complete it with or without the Ronins and Guardians. Greyoko met his gaze, and then looked away.

"Well then, it's settled. Let's get to it, before the Dynasty has a chance to make another move on us."

Talpa was furious.

Badammon, now in possession of Kayura's body, knelt. There was a part of him that delighted in being privy to her terrified thoughts. She would be bear witness to the destruction of the only people who could free her. She cringed and shrieked in a corner of her mind, while Badammon looked out at the world through her eyes.

**HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN, BADAMMON? I GAVE YOU A SIMPLE TASK, AND YOU FAILED ME!**

Badammon cowered in Kayura's delicate body.

"My lord, forgive me. I did not expect the monk to realize the amulet was the source of what held Kaos' heir in your thrall. It is why I rushed to take possession of her before the damage could worsen." Talpa's roar shook the rafters and made Kayura/Badammon wince and sink into an even more obeisant kneel.

**FOOL! THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE! HER MEMORIES ARE RESTORED AND IT IS ONLY BECAUSE YOU ARE IN POSESSION OF HER BODY THAT SHE DOES NOT RUN TO OUR ENEMIES, NOW!**

Badammon said nothing and Talpa was silent a moment. It seemed his anger had cooled.

**GO AND SEE TO IT THAT THEY ARE PREPARED FOR MY ARRIVAL, BADAMMON. IF YOU CAN, KILL THAT GODS DAMNED MONK. I WILL TAKE CARE OF THE RONIN WARRIORS…AND THEIR GUARDIAN COMPANIONS.**

"Yes, my lord." Badammon said with Kayura's voice. Inside, Kayura screamed in protest, sobbing at the futility of her resistance. Badammon ignored her, not daring to loose the reins of control even for the pleasure of quelling her once and for all and making of her a shell.

Talpa's castle was even larger when they stood in the front courtyard. The Ronins, Guardians, Anubis, and Mia, looked stone faced. They all remembered the last time they had faced off in Talpa's castle. Mia had not gone this far before, but she held the Jewel of Life…and she trusted its power to keep her and her friends safe. She noted the exchanges between Anubis and Greyoko. Small things, really; a glance here, a brush of fingertips there, and she recalled Anubis' unspoken promise.

_And when this business with the Dynasty is concluded it would be an honor if you allowed me to court you properly, Princess of Sukufan._

Princess of Sukufan. Mia felt her heart sink. How could she compare to that? She was the bookworm who had inherited her grandfather's name, money, home, and debts. Greyoko was a warrior of great power, a Guardian of the Illiyan Realms, and a princess. She was beautiful and young, and she loved Anubis—Mia could see that well enough. But Anubis himself had admitted that it was too soon to tell if he loved her in return. He had been reluctant to admit it, but Mia could see he was changing his mind, little by little.

She tried to ignore it. They had a battle waiting for them and Lady Kayura was coming to welcome them.

"How lovely!" She cried at the head of her army. "We did not expect you to make it this far, but Master Talpa is pleased you are here to join us." She raised her hand, calling down a bolt of energy to scatter them. Raimei took Mia, as she was closest, and dodged. With all the warriors united it would be impossible to wear them down, now.

Anubis would focus on Kayura, but he had heard something the others had not.

He had heard Badammon's voice coming from Kayura's mouth. Anubis smiled to himself. He had one chance to do this, and it meant breaking from Kaos' path—but it was necessary in order for Kayura to be freed once and for all.

Kayura—fueled by Badammon's desire—came after Anubis directly, having left the Ronins and Guardians to their fates, even though every single one of them wanted a piece of her. The Dark Warlords kept them all sufficiently distracted, still bound to her will.

Anubis pleaded to the Kayura he knew was a prisoner in her own mind.

"You are of Kaos' line!" Anubis cried. "If I must sacrifice myself to free you, so be it! It is my mission, the last mission Kaos set out to be completed!" Badammon's laughter mocked him, and as they broke away, Anubis landed on a bridge, wavering on his feet. He saw the blood seeping through his robes. The Starlight Swords had scored a hit on his midsection. He had to act fast before he lost too much blood.

He summoned his mystical armor for the first time in almost a year.

How could he describe it? It was good—so good!—to feel the familiar weight of the magically-imbued metal against him again. Sub-armor scaled along his body first, followed by the black and gold robe, and the main armor. Finally, the helm, which had been cracked in two by Rowen's arrow so long ago, was restored to him and he placed it on his head. Kaos' staff could not harm Kayura…but the Armor of the Ogre had no such limitations.

He attacked.

Badammon, startled that Anubis still had possession of the armor, was taken off guard when Anubis summoned the chains that would bind him. But Kayura was too strong even for that, and so Anubis desperately tackled her, wrapping his arms and legs around her so that she was forced to drop her swords.

"With this armor, I banish you Badammon, and I free Kayura, daughter of Kaos, and rightful heir to the Staff of Mystics." He whispered with conviction. The armor felt his wish, and obeyed. The virtue of his armor's attribute appeared and flared on his forehead briefly…and then transferred and appeared on Kayura's. Badammon shrieked as the armor transferred—armor, attributes, and power drove him out. Anubis landed on the bridge, climbing to lean on the railing and watch as Kayura landed, clad in the ogre armor…and Badammon's spirit was devoured by the spirit of the armor itself.

"Anubis…?" Kayura's voice was small, so fragile…tentative after so long imprisoned in the Dynasty's power. Anubis smiled weakly, blood ebbing between his fingers, his mission completed.

"You're free…you've come back to us, Kayura…" He managed to get out before he fell into the waters below. Kayura was wide-eyed with shock, trembling as the staff of Kaos lay before her. Trembling hands closed around it and then she knew what she had to do. She turned to the battle going on at Talpa's castle, and ran.

She knew what would happen when Anubis and Kayura broke away from the battle. She knew it and fought on, anyway. And when the Warlords' wills were restored to them, she knew Anubis had succeeded in freeing Kayura. And when Kayura returned wearing Anubis' armor and wielding the staff, she knew what had happened.

There was no time to cry or mourn. Just as before, when she thought he was dead, she would not shed tears.

Oh gods and here was Talpa, ready to finish what he started now that all of his efforts had failed.

**I SEE YOU HAVE BEEN FREED, LADY KAYURA. SUCH A PITY THAT YOU WILL NOT LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO ENJOY IT. ALTHOUGH I WILL OFFER YOU CLEMEMNCY IF YOU AGREE TO RETURN TO YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE BY MY SIDE.**

Even though Talpa likely knew this was a losing battle—that the tides had turned against him—he was still arrogant, and still making stupid promises. But Kayura had seen Anubis' sacrifice and refused to allow it to be in vain. She wielded the staff with more confidence, having been honed into a deadly warrior during her tenure as Talpa's second hand.

"I am no longer a slave to your will, Talpa! And neither are your former Dark Warlords!" She cried, her voice strangely child like! "We stand against you. All of us!" Though the Ronins were initially wary of Kayura's change, she wielded the staff, and they knew the staff could only be wielded by one of Kaos' line. She was his daughter, and Anubis had been charged to find her and free her. That had been the only reason he was still alive after the first battle.

And, Greyoko thought in anguish, the only reason he was dead, now. Gods forgive her, but she hated Kayura so much despite her being on their side.

Talpa took a step forward and the earth trembled beneath their feet. Then, there was a roar from across the waters. Ansequia's tower, where she was imprisoned, was beginning to crumble. If Talpa had a complexion, one would say he would have gone ashen then. He attacked the Ronins, the Guardians, and Kayura effortlessly. Kayura retained her speed, and implored Ryo to summon Hariel's armor. The Guardians, having depleted their energies and able to provide martial support, agreed. Ryo was reluctant to summon the armor, but they needed it. The Jewel of Life began to glow, lifting from Mia's breast in response to having one of Kaos' line so near.

Ryo no longer had a choice. None of them did. Their armors combined their powers and Ryo, so young and yet resilient, had never felt power in the Inferno Armor like this before. This was righteousness personified. This was what it would feel like if it was physical. The armor was lighter, the swords were sharper, the rage was stronger. Talpa was nothing compared to the power of this armor and Ryo wielded it without pause.

After all, it was he who had to strike the decisive blow.

Talpa put up a good fight, of that no one could doubt, but it was as inevitable as the sunrise. Once Kayura had been freed, his last bastion of defense was lost. And with Ansequia's tower completely crumbled, Ryo summoned the Rage of Inferno.

And hell had no fury like a Ronin scorned.

No one ever sang or wrote about the aftermath of battle. The Guardians were beaten and worn down, but they had completed their mission. Ansequia had finally freed herself from her tower but had arrived at the battle long after Talpa was nothing but dust; not even his armor was left. Kayura leaned on her staff, catching her breath. She saw Greyoko glaring at her briefly, and looked away. Greyoko broke off and followed where she had seen Anubis take his own battle. And she found him.

He looked peaceful, as if he were not dead. And Greyoko knelt in the water, making a choked noise. She cradled his head in her lap, her shoulders shaking.

"I'm sorry." Greyoko's head came up and she saw Mia standing in the water across from her. "I know you two had wanted to be…together…" Greyoko stroked Anubis' cold cheek, and saw one of her tears land on his face. It only made her cry harder. There was no magic here that could bring him back. He had found his redemption in his sacrifice to save a woman she hated.

"He promised…" Greyoko whispered. "He promised!" She repeated again, furious. She began to beat on his chest, as if willing him to live.

"You promised me that once this was finished you would come back! You promised me!" Mia knew there were no words she could say that would make this better, so she left the princess to her grief.

Ansequia, as it turned out, was not as terrible these days as the legends said. In fact, she was downright calm and stately. When she spoke, her voice was like smoke poured over gravel, soft—almost sibilant, but there was a gritty tone in it that spoke of her dark nature. She regarded the Sukufan Guardians in turn, smiling grimly.

"You took a great risk, coming to retrieve me at my mother's behest." She said flatly, and then she smiled at Kayura. "I heard your confession, child of Kaos, and yes, I felt as you did…it is why Talpa had me locked away." Her gaze flickered to the Ronins and she spilled into motion, her tattered robes doing little to hide the serpentine grace with which she moved. She had no respect for personal space, as all the world could have been hers had Talpa swayed her harder. She examined them each, making thoughtful noises. Her eyes were slanted dramatically, with longer lashes than normal, and eyes that shone a metallic brown…almost bronze, glowing with a soft, inner fire. She grinned, revealing briefly a mouth full of serrated fangs, and her face was horrifying, misshapen by too wide a slash of a mouth, and enlarged fangs and gums that gave her a demonic appearance—courtesy of her Mir'Ajan father. Just as soon, her face became human-like again, and it was as if the fangs were never there.

"Very attractive lot wearing this armor, eh?" Her eyes settled on Sekhmet, Dayus, and Cale, and she looked startled. Her gaze lingered within Sekhmet's own for a span that was uncomfortable for everyone.

"Pardon me," Kento said, "but can we please, please, _please _get the fuck out of here?"

The Ronins, Guardians, and others returned to the mortal world. When they realized that the battle had truly been one, the Ronins tossed their helms into the air…and they burst into a shower of cherry blossoms, falling over all of them in celebration as they cheered, high-fived, laughed, and hugged. The Guardians stood in their armor, unable to change to mortal clothes. Kayura stood in the Ogre armor with the three remaining Warlords. They could remain in this world or the Netherworld, and they knew there was no place for them here, especially since the Guardians had not forgiven them for anything. They decided it would be best to remain at a respectful distance. Ansequia glanced at Sekhmet again, and one would almost swear he looked imploringly at her, but she had to make her own choice.

"I like the human world. I think…" and her chuckle sent a chill up everyone's spine. "…I think I will stay."

The only one who had not returned, however, was Greyoko.

Anubis was dead. There had been nothing she could have done to prevent it, but it did not make the pain any less. If anything, it was worse because she could not have protected him. Greyoko took Anubis' body from the Netherworld, spiriting away to give him a proper burial. There was no one left alive to see him off that cared deeply for him. She had been the first woman in four centuries he had given his heart to…and she was the only one at the small, unmarked gravesite beneath the orange tree in the countryside. She sat there a long while, the wind rustling through the trees, bringing with it the scent of orange blossoms.

"I didn't know he was one for _feng shui_." Said a gravelly voice. Greyoko looked up to see her sister resting idly on a branch, nibbling on a peach. She frowned.

"Get away from here." Ansequia continued eating, before her gaze slowly siphoned to her younger sister's. It was almost impossible to tell they were related, for Ansequia's features were so dramatically different due to her half-Mir'Ajan genes. Greyoko was purely of Sukufan, beautiful and almost cherubic in her youth. Ansequia looked one throat-slit away from demonhood. Gracefully, soundlessly, Ansequia dropped to the ground below, next to Greyoko.

"If you're going to blame your mission for Anubis' death, then you're dumber than I was led to believe." Greyoko tensed, almost enraged but Ansequia was impassive, crossing her legs.

"I was not much of a sister to you, I know, and you may think I betrayed Sukufan but I didn't." Ansequia rested her chin on her fist. "Mother gave me to them." Greyoko's eyes widened.

"You lie!" She cried. "You would say anything to curry favor now that you've been freed!" Ansequia canted her head.

"A thousand human years ago, you would have been right. Today, you are wrong. You see, you said yourself: I have been _freed_. Ya'kini was so ashamed of her dalliance with a Mir'Ajan and me as the result…she was so tired of the whispers of dissent at court, and that something had to be done about me before I tainted the royal bloodline. So she struck a deal with the Dynasty. Me for the freedom of Sukufan." Greyoko covered her ears and Ansequia rolled her eyes.

"You were scarcely able to come out of the nursery when this happened, Greyoko, so of course it looked like betrayal to you, but it wasn't. I knew my duty. I had to save Sukufan at my own expense, so I went with Talpa, he offered a lot more than I ever would have expected from those backbiting pigeons at court in Sukufan. He offered me power and respect on my own merits. No one judged my bloodline in the Dynasty. They revered it. If I looked a little more fearsome than a woman should, then I was feared. If I took a few savage bites out of the throat of an opponent, I was a monster…and I was ruthless, and they loved me." Ansequia's voice grew softer, if that was possible, and her expression was wistful. "Sekhmet loved me." She said quietly. Greyoko gave her an incredulous look. Her sister was a mad woman.

"My point is, little sister, is that I went to the Dynasty of my free will not to betray Sukufan, but to save it…and to find myself. But then I met Kaos." Ansequia glanced out at the rolling hills of the Japanese countryside. "He wouldn't kill me; said it wasn't his place to seal my fate. I'd never heard anyone say that before, because no one ever lasted long enough to make such a decision. Kaos downed me with that gods-damned staff, and then told me to go home. Not to the Dynasty, mind you, but to Sukufan. He wanted to know what I was doing and I told him to go fuck himself." Ansequia laughed, the memory fond to her.

"What has this to do with Anubis' death?" Greyoko asked slowly. Ansequia shook her head, blinking.

"This? Oh nothing, really. I just wanted you to know that people make their own choices, Greyoko. Mother made hers, I made mine, and Anubis made his. If he thought dying to save Kayura was what was necessary to atone for his sins serving the Dynasty, then it was his choice. Did he love you any less because of it?" Greyoko was silent, the color rising to her cheeks even now. "I imagine not." Ansequia said, amused.

"He is dead, Ansequia," Greyoko said, "What am I to do, now?" Ansequia stood up, brushing her bottom. She was wearing a pair of tight black jeans, an oversized sweater, and her hair was bound in a single braid that followed the length of her spine.

"You live, Greyoko. The world didn't stop turning because your first love died on you. You will find love all over the place in your lifetime. Find it, and lose it over and over. You learn to grow strong from what you lose, and to live longer from what you keep." She offered hand, smiling. "So how about letting Anubis settle in his grave before you drown him in tears?" Greyoko's expression made her smile fade. "I jest. But Mia wants to know if you are faring well, and it is the only reason I tracked you down. You picked a lovely spot for him; very hard to find—even for me." As Greyoko stood and the two sisters walked back toward the main road, Greyoko smiled to herself.

"Not for me."


	8. Temperantia

**Author's Note:** So, with my RAS (now called "East of Toyama") revision's revision concluded, I decided to write a sequel adventure that takes place three years after Talpa's defeat and tack it on as part of this story…just to explore the Ronins, Guardians, and others as they try to resume normal lives, and the Guardians try to prepare to return home while adjusting to life on Earth for the first time. Don't worry; it won't all be mundane things like celebrating holidays and exploring romantic relationships. I've got a new foe for all of them to fight. This one will take longer, as I spent eleven years pouring over various versions of EOT in my spare time, and never thought to branch off from there. Now that I'm living abroad, doing absolutely nothing of interest beyond my occupation, with plenty of time to write during the witching hours, I decided to exercise my writing limbs with fanfics. Enjoy!

East of Toyama: Temperance Adaptation

"Ansequia! They're burning!" Mia called up the stairs. Ansequia stood on the balcony over the main living area, and jumped over the railing, landing before sprinting to the kitchen.

"No, no, no!" She cried, running to the oven and opening it. Smoke filtered out, and she made out the scent of chocolate chips. Grabbing the pan, heedless of the extreme heat, she set it on the stove, mourning the blackened shapes on it, still smoking. Mia came in, helping to open the windows and filter out the smoke.

"Gods above will they never come out right?" Ansequia moaned. Mia laughed.

"You have to be patient, Ansequia, and you have to be vigilant. You're only supposed to leave them in for twenty minutes…this way, they're soft, but when they cool, they're still soft, instead of getting hard." Ansequia looked angry and Mia hesitated. Ansequia's temper usually had violent effects, but she was learning to blend with humans. After hearing about her trials with Kaos, Mia learned that Ansequia had learned quite a bit from the monk. A good temperament and self-control had been just two of the golden lessons that had Talpa locking her away for betrayal.

"I will not let this…this oven contraption defeat me. What time is it, now?" Mia glanced at her wrist watch. "Eight fifteen. He won't be here for another two hours. Why wou—" Ansequia ran from the room.

"Plenty of time to buy more dough, bake, and be ready before he arrives. Clear that mess, Mia, I shall make another attempt at this baking of cookies. If I am to live amongst humans, I will not have them saying I am useless." Ansequia went upstairs to her room, where no one who stayed in the house had ever seen. Life had taken up a lively yet strange pace for the heroes and former villains. Mia especially. She was back in school, receiving her teaching degree to follow in her grandfather's footsteps and instruct at the university in Japanese Folklore. Yulie was in junior high school, now, and the former Ronins were finishing up college. It was almost normal, if one discounted the fact that there was a demonic Sukufan princess housed upstairs, her sister housed just in the next room, and frequent visitors from the Netherworld. All in all, it was usually never a dull moment for Mia anymore. She wondered if it would be so if her grandfather still lived. Wistfully, she recalled those horrible months. But it had been three years since their first battle with Talpa, and two since their final battle with him, where she had wielded the Jewel of Life. She had not lifted a sword, but she had helped in a big way.

The doorbell rang and Mia paused in scraping the burnt cookies into the trash can, placing the baking tray on the counter for reuse as she went to answer the door. When she opened it, she was in the middle of a greeting before she saw that it was Sekhmet. Always, when she saw one of the former Dark Warlords—especially dressed in normal clothing—she was always startled. She placed a hand to her chest in a gesture for her thudding heart to be still. Though Sekhmet could do nothing to disguise his outlandish appearance, the clothes he wore helped make his look even more unique, but not distinctly alien. She noted the scales peeking from beneath his black collar.

Ansequia was coming down, her hair still damp from a recent shower, wearing a sweater dress. She favored loose-fitting clothing…but she favored very little clothing.

"Hebi-sama!" She cried, coming to stand beside Mia. "You're early." Mia smiled when she saw color rise to Ansequia's cheeks. It had been Mia's idea that Sekhmet and Ansequia court one another properly, in the modern fashion, of course. This involved the two going out on dates. How those dates went was a mystery, but it seemed to be working. This was the third week in a row Sekhmet had come from the Netherworld to see Ansequia.

"We agreed upon this time, Ansequia. Time passes differently in the Netherworld." Mia backed away, allowing Sekhmet inside. He was tall—very tall—towering over Mia, who was much shorter than Ansequia, who stood nigh eye-to-eye with him. She didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms around him to plant a kiss on his lips. Mia wondered briefly if she'd ever start dating again. She retreated to her study to give the couple their privacy, and then decided that she would go out. And she was going to take Greyoko with her. The girl had been reclusive since Anubis' death, and she rarely went out into the city, often venturing deep into the countryside to visit the grave where she had buried Anubis. She would not tell anyone where it was, but Ansequia knew, and she suspected Kayura knew as well. But Greyoko had never shared the location with her. She knew it was due to their unspoken rivalry for his affection, which remained ever an unresolved issue between them. She heard Ansequia quiet laughter in the next room, and Sekhmet's deep voice murmuring to her. Their voices faded and Mia heard the door close behind the pair. Silence settled over the house and Mia was alone with her thoughts once more.

"Are you sure this is safe to do, Tonya?" Sai asked nervously. Tonyamii stood next to him in her scale-bikini, which was not really a bikini. She had scales all over her body that were so beautifully placed they looked like a skintight outfit. Her sun-browned skin glowed as they stood on the deck of the yacht, a safe distance from the twin whirlpools where he had once been imprisoned.

"You say you been here before, right?" She asked. Her Japanese had improved immensely, but her accent was still thick. Sai nodded, swallowing hard. "So it easy for you. Easy for me."

"Tonya, I can't _breathe _underwater without that armor." Sai reminded her. Tonyamii sucked her teeth impatiently, grabbed Sai and kissed him hard. It wasn't just any kiss, though. Sai felt something being planted in him. Something soft, warm, and wet was making its way down into his chest. There, it settled, and then he felt it melt and spread into his lungs. He coughed once and Tonyamii covered his lips with her fingertips.

"Now you breathe in water like me," she said, "but only for little while. You don't have enough tongues to move air around." Sai had never bothered to ask what this whole deal about multiple tongues was about, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He grabbed his boogie-board and Tonyamii grabbed hers. Together, they dove into the water and paddled toward the whirlpool.

"Seiji…" The whisper was hot in his ear, overlaying the soft music playing from the radio. Heavy shifting made the bed groan beneath their aggressive weight and Seiji's laugh was soft and arrogant even as hi lips staked a claim on earth-tone flesh. Mayu sighed again. Seiji had started dating Mayu almost seven months ago, and while she had been reluctant to be intimate beyond hand-holding and occasional kisses, she was ready, now. They had enjoyed a nice lunch at a small café in town, and now she was practically wrapping herself all around him.

"Ah, Mayu…I didn't think we'd ever be doing this...when we first met." He heard Mayu's resulting laughter and sat up to look at her. Mayu put a finger to his lips.

"Either you accept what you have been working for now, or never know." She intoned quietly and Seiji obliged her with alacrity.

"You hit like old people fuck, Hardrock." Raimei said blithely. Kento growled and threw another right hook. The other couples were using padding, but Kento and Raimei both had enough arrogance to neglect it. He punched Raimei' palms. She had gotten a haircut, and styled it so that one part of her violet hair covered the scarred half of her face, leaving only the keen beauty of her unmarred half visible. Kento and Raimei had gotten along great since the day he had pulled her from the hellhole in the Netherworld. And having resumed a normal life, had started dating, though neither would admit to it. They had gotten an apartment together and Kento had delighted in showing the normally duty-bound Guardian all the pleasures of human living.

Including martial arts classes.

To that, she had taken up with a startling enthusiasm, and here they were, sparring. Kento had also delighted in showing her all the best cheap eats in town…and Raimei didn't mind fucking when she felt the need. Kento had been scared she'd be reluctant, but Raimei bounced back like a newly-inflated beach ball. She'd descended on Kento and shown him that just because she was duty-bound, didn't mean she neglected the realm of desire.

Those were excellent times.

Then there were the time he'd catch her looking out of the window onto the city, trying to see the stars beyond.

"Where's your home?" He'd asked her once, and she pointed out her home star to him, her expression wistful.

"What's it like?" And she'd smile at him, and they'd lay in bed and she would tell him of the Illiyan Realms until his soft snoring told her he had been pleased with his lot so far.

Those were the best times.

But Raimei knew the time would come when the Guardians would have to return to Sukufan, and this sip of humanity she tasted on his tongue was brief; a drop in the bucket compared to the endless ocean of duty that awaited her back home.

Home.

She didn't even know where to truly call home, anymore. On the one hand, she was born and bred to Sukufan, forged in the storm clouds by the Goddess Herself. She was bound to Sukufan by blood and stone, by storm and sea and sky, and could no more severe that bond than she could stop the world from turning. Then there was Earth; the human world. A world of such riotous color and beauty, of such diversity and intrigue that she found herself falling a little bit in love with the place.

And with Kento, whom she still affectionately called Hardrock.

He was a simple man, with simple pleasures, and it suited her. He did not ask anything of her beyond what she gave him, and she demanded nothing of him save he be himself. They got along famously, fought and argued when needed, fucked and made up when ever possible. It was a gloriously simple life and Raimei found herself deeply saddened that she would have to leave it eventually.

"Are you sure you don't want my help on this paper? I can open up whole new discussions about astronomy you humans have never even considered before…" Netsui peered over Ryo's shoulder like an errant child and Ryo waved her off.

"Look, I know you like exercising that huge brain of yours, but…can I please do this on my own? This is _my _degree we're talking about, here." He said. Netsui did not look daunted, but merely sighed and went to sit on Ryo's bed while he typed his paper. She lay there, wearing a satin slip that matched her hair and eyes, and when Ryo glanced over, he did a double take.

"Please…don't do this to me right now…" He whispered, but he was already getting up and heading toward the bed. Netsui grinned impishly and Ryo stopped short.

"Just let me get my works-cited page done and then we can do this. There's no fucking _end _to your libido is there? Shit, are all your people as insatiable as you?" Netsui smirked.

"I wouldn't know. I've not thought to fuck all of my people to find out. Just think of me as a small representation of a select few, hm?" Ryo hesitated before sitting back down, forcing himself to concentrate on the screen rather than the fact that Netsui had discarded the only article of clothing she deigned to wear in the privacy of his dorm room. Now he stole glimpses of lovely skin, dusky nipples sitting hard on small, pert breasts, and a deliciously curved bottom he wanted nothing more than to—

It was just a works-cited page. That could wait.

"Mia is this what women who are unspoken for do in their spare time?" Greyoko asked nervously. Mia leaned over the pool table, smiling.

"Not all of us, no," she said a little more acidly than she intended, "but the ones who don't want to stay cooped up in the house day in and day out do." Greyoko blushed, fiddling with her pool cue and chalking up to distract herself. Mia hesitated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh. It's just that I was worried about you…and I thought you might want to spend a little time exploring the human world even though…even though I'm the last person you probably want to spend it with."

"No, Kayura is." Greyoko said flatly. Mia hesitated, then set to racking up the balls again. Soft pop music played in the background and Greyoko offered to break.

"I enjoyed the little spa treatment earlier this evening, Mia. Thank you for showing concern for my well-being. I assure you, I am well." Mia watched Greyoko break. It wasn't a very good break, but Greyoko was a fast learner. She'd managed to keep the white ball on the table this time.

"Looks like I'm stripes." Mia said as a solid slowly pitted into a corner pocket. Greyoko nodded watching the table.

Three games later, both women were seated in a discreet corner, a bottle of wine between them. Greyoko sipped her wine tentatively. She'd never had wine before, and it had a robust taste to her, albeit it the smell was a bit strange.

"You miss him." Mia said at last. Greyoko looked up from staring at her dark reflection in the beverage.

"Everyday."

"You know if you fall in love with someone else it wouldn't be a betrayal to him. He wouldn't want you hanging your life up over his death." Greyoko set her wine glass down.

"I know that. You and Ansequia are like-minded in such thinking. But it is easy for her, for she has Sekhmet to ease her loneliness in this world. Even the Guardians have formed romantic ties with the Ronins. You…you have your dates. I have no one." Mia's brows knit.

"You have so many people who care about you, Greyoko. So many." Mia sounded almost bitter. "My grandfather was possessed by an evil spirit from the Dynasty and tried to kill me. The Ronins had to kill him to free him…and I'm left with all that was his…but I'd trade it all away to have him restored to me."

"And I would trade Kayura's freedom for Anubis' life if I could." Greyoko countered. "We each have something we would give up to bring back a loved one. You cannot use that logic on me." Mia hesitated. She had believed Greyoko's aloofness was aimed toward her. In reality, Greyoko had not thought of Mia as a threat after Anubis had offered to court her. It was Kayura's life who had been cleansed, but in order for that to happen, Anubis had been mortally wounded.

And he had died with Kayura's name on his lips.

Mia understood now that Greyoko had wanted Kayura to pay for it. No small wonder she was so aloof.

"We should head back. You look tired." Mia murmured. Greyoko did not disagree.

When they arrived, they found Sekhmet and Ansequia curled up on the couch, the television softly whispering in front of them. Sekhmet was asleep, with Ansequia in his arms, her lips pressed against his chest, snoring softly. Greyoko saw this and immediately went upstairs. Mia did not disturb the lovers, but instead softly switched off the television and put a blanket over them. Ansequia had been imprisoned for over one thousand years, and had awakened to find love waiting for her in Sekhmet. How a pairing like that had ever happened was beyond Mia to be honest, but they were well-matched it seemed, and in sleep they were adorable. She wondered with a fission of guilt and shame, how it was when they made love. It was probably frightening and beautiful and passionate, and all of those things the tawdry paperbacks said it was.

And Mia knew Greyoko would never know it, since she had set her heart on Anubis.

And Mia had set her heart on a man no one even knew she had been wanting for the past two years.

Cohesion through Suffering

"It's really nice to have a family get together for such a great holiday." Mia murmured. Dishes clattered in the kitchen, and somehow, the Guardians—and Ansequia herself, for she had discovered she loved to cook—had wound up in the kitchen early that morning to help prepare what was to be a Thanksgiving feast. While it was an American holiday, Ansequia had brilliantly suggested to Mia that they celebrate it every year on the anniversary of Talpa's defeat, which had been in July. After all, who had more to be thankful for than all of them for being alive to remember the encounter? And so for the first time, they were going to try it, after much research on American recipes were to be had. As scary as the stories were that surrounded Ansequia's time in the Dynasty, she was proving to be more levelheaded than most claimed. Although Mia wasn't sure how the tension would be eased when the former Dark Warlords showed up. Sekhmet was already there, but Dayus and Cale had made themselves scarce since Talpa's defeat. Kayura too, which was strange.

"Greyoko don't peel the potatoes that way or there won't be anything left!" Mia chided playfully. The two had become close the past few months, and Greyoko was learning what it was to be human. As it turned out, according to her sister, it was more than just erring. The other Guardians had acclimated to life on Earth very well, and while they were a little over-eager to try everything the human world had to offer, they had willing guides…most of the time. The turkey was roasting in the oven, and Greyoko had been peeling potatoes which would be used to make the American treat sweet potato pie. None of Mia's strange and eclectic household had ever had an American meal before Ansequia suggested they adopt the custom as their own. After all, plenty of mouths to feed, and Ansequia loved the Internet more than anything.

"You know, I could always just bathe the turkey in flames…" Netsui suggested quietly. There was an adamant protest.

"It has to cook slowly; else the flavor will be lost." Ansequia said imperiously. Mia smiled, wiping her hands on her apron. After Ansequia suggested the idea for Thanksgiving in July, Mia had spoken to her about the holiday of Christmas. If the Guardians were to leave them soon, she wanted to show them all the wonders of being human. After all, they knew of the pitfalls. And it would be nice to see their reactions to being showered with gifts. Although she couldn't think of anything they could possibly want or need when they returned to Sukufan.

And the more Mia watched the exchanges between her friends, the less inclined they seemed to go, which made her smile, but they were needed in their own realm.

"This is silly." Raimei said as she kneading dough in a bowl. "What in the name of the Goddess are those foolish men doing while we're in here trying to prepare a foreign meal? Twice foreign since none of us have bothered to learn to cook human food."

"Well what do people of Sukufan eat?" Mia asked. The Guardians exchanged a glance, looked askance at Ansequia, and they all seemed to suddenly be overtaken with the business of their cooking. Mia blinked, but Ansequia smiled her fanged smile. Mia had a good idea what Ansequia ate.

"They used to call me the Heart Eater," she said which didn't help Mia's discomfort. Seeing her expression, Ansequia added, "only that of children, though." Mia turned green.

"We don't eat." Tonyamii said firmly. "We need only element of power." Mia understood, then, even with Tonyamii's broken speaking.

"Oh…so Raimei would have to wait for a storm in order to feed off of lightning." Raimei looked slightly offended.

"Wait? Bah."

"And Netsui probably goes to where Ryo keeps his armor."

"I do not dine on lava like that contraption does. I simply absorb the heat." Netsui said indignantly, raising her chin a little.

"Tonyamii takes a dip in the sea." Tonyamii smiled.

"What do you do, Mayu?" When the other Guardians started laughing, she sent glares aplenty all around. Mia blinked and the Guardians laughed harder—all save Mayu.

"She eats dirt." Greyoko said out of the corner of her mouth and ducked as Mayu's cooking knife embedded itself above her head.

"I do not _eat dirt_." The Guardian said in a controlled voice. "I meditate amidst the natural beauty of this world and draw my strength from the earth through contemplation."

"Okay, so you _think _about eating dirt." Said Greyoko and this time dodged a half-cut onion. Mia smiled at the exchange. They had become more human than they realized—strange eating habits aside.

"So you, Greyoko…how do you feed?" Greyoko beamed.

"I carry the Divine Spark, and so my strength comes from emotions of others." Ansequia rolled her eyes.

"What she means, Mia…is she is not unlike a succubus, only she does not need to lay with a man to feed. He just needs to like her a great deal." When she saw Greyoko's expression Mia blushed.

"We draw our strengths from the elements from which we gather our power. Greyoko's power is derived from the devotion of others to her, thus she feeds from our devotion to her most of the time. Were she to fall in love and someone else with her, she would have a limitless food supply." Raimei said, her voice turning grave. She lifted a piece of dough thoughtfully, and then, to Mia's horror, ate it. "This is very tasty, must it be put in the oven?"

"Raimei, there's raw eggs in there!" Mia cried. Raimei blinked. "So?"

Mia sighed. It was going to be a very interesting day.

There was a lot of commotion at Mia's house when Kayura arrived, and she wondered what it was about. The Guardians were rushing about setting the long dining room table with dishes of strange food and Kayura felt out of place, wearing her Ogre armor. She shut her eyes and switched to her elegantly appointed robes instead. The familiar chime of her staff drew the others out of the kitchen. They were all covered in flour. Evidently, Mia had something planned. Ansequia emerged, wearing a striped sweater dress and thigh-high socks, along with house slippers. She towered over Mia, but Mia was thankful for Ansequia's presence—who was more likeable than even her Guardians had been.

"Kayura! Haven't seen you in so long!" Mia said, and Kayura smiled, although it was halfhearted. She was not here on a pleasant social call.

"Mia, it is good to see how well you all have fared after so long. I am sorry that my duties have kept me from seeing you. I came to see—" She paused and everyone seemed puzzled as to why. Greyoko had emerged from the kitchen, and seeing Kayura, had dropped the plate she was holding. It was empty, and because it was not a long fall, it did not shatter, merely clattered loudly before it settled…and silence followed in its wake.

"I came to see Ansequia." Kayura said slowly, cautiously. Ansequia blinked, looking between Greyoko and Kayura. Mia immediately went to do what little damage control was needed as Greyoko went back into the kitchen. Ansequia and Kayura stepped outside.

"What is she doing here?" Greyoko asked, trying to keep the emotion from her voice. "The Ronins have won, and she said herself she is no longer needed here." Mia tried to soothe Greyoko's rattled nerves.

"Ansequia and Kayura are friends, and Kayura is the heir of Kaos. She will always be in the Ronins' life. And because this is such a common meeting place for all of us, she will be a constant in my life as well." Greyoko's lip trembled.

"It isn't right. Everyone will be here tonight, including her. _He _should be here celebrating with us."

Mia did not know how to answer that. It was true; the only one of their number that had perished in that final battle had been Anubis. Mia was sad to say that their celebration would be bittersweet because of the dead to honor; there were Yulie's parents, her grandfather, and Anubis. Yulie was coming as well, as he had begged his aunt and uncle if he could. Everyone would be here.

Everyone save Anubis.

Mia could see why Greyoko felt cheated and even insulted by this. She sighed. It was going to be a long night, apparently.

The Ronins came back from their various schools, and the Guardians welcomed with varying degrees of alacrity. Raimei was more reserved, but Tonyamii, Netsui, and Mayu did not hold back. Mia met Rowen's eyes and blushed. Rowen smiled at her reassuringly. The only one who knew about Mia and Rowen's burgeoning relationship was Greyoko.

"Oh get a room, guys." Ryo complained when Seiji and Mayu shared a kiss that lasted much longer than necessary. Seiji took several teasing bites along Mayu's throat. She giggled—very uncharacteristic of her.

"Alright guys, let's get seated. Yulie and the others are going to be here soon." Mia said, wiping her hands on a dish rag. After much clamor, everyone was seated, and as if on cue, the doorbell was ringing.

Mia answered, and saw Cale and Dayus standing awkwardly on her front porch alongside Yulie, who had grown so much over the past three years. He was nearly taller than Mia, now. Mia bowed, greeting them and allowing them to enter. There was an awkward silence as Dayus filed in, dressed smartly in a dark gray suit that seamlessly showed off his frame. Cale wore a pair of blacked jeans and a black button-down. Ansequia smiled.

"You made it!" Kayura was the only one not present, and after the awkwardness with Greyoko, she had apologized to Mia and prudently excused herself, citing she had other duties to attend to. The party assembled and Mia proposed making a toast.

"Per Ansequia's request, I decided we're going to celebrate an American holiday in our own way. Tonight, on the anniversary of our defeating the Dynasty—and Talpa, most of all—we gather tonight to give thanks to be here to tell the story and pass it down to future generations, and," she looked around the table at varying degrees of emotion writ on everyone's faces, "we gather here tonight to honor those who are not with us. _Kampai_." She raised her wine glass and the other followed suit, downing the fine wine, each thinking on what this feast meant.

"Now, I know I was not present for most of the battle, but I was not deaf, love," Ansequia was saying to Sekhmet, who silenced her nagging by feeding her bits of food from his plate. Seiji murmured something to Mayu that sounded as if he were telling her she had something on her mouth, which he took as an excuse to kiss her to make sure it was gone. It was a heady mood that lightened. A few times, Mia met Rowen's eyes from across the table, and blushed, then winced when Greyoko discreetly kicked her under the table. Mia blinked, startled but Greyoko stared at her. Mia sighed and shook her head slightly.

Dinner continued, with both Dayus and Cale finally able to make conversation. It was more of a new beginning for everyone this night, Mia could see. Each of these individuals—herself included—had been through varying degrees of cruelty at the hands of Talpa and the Dynasty. The former Dark Warlords had atoned, and were living amongst mortals in a time far removed from the one familiar to them. Sekhmet and Ansequia had openly resumed a romance that Talpa had cut short when Ansequia followed Kaos and began to doubt her position in the Dynasty. Dayus and Cale had managed to break the ice with tentative conversation, although they had started with Ansequia, who was familiar with them, and eventually managed to speak to the Ronins. Mia was pleased with her cleverness, and realized that inheriting her grandfather's things had not brought complete disaster. This house had become an anchor for them all, a place for them to rebuild their lives anew and atone for crimes committed long ago.

Once the desserts had been brought out, everyone agreed that Americans were greedy. It was strange to have a holiday devoted to eating enough for two grown men, but everyone was satisfied. Dayus and Cale made ready to excuse themselves, but Mia bid them stay a while longer, and that they were always welcome to visit. They stayed an hour more, but then retreated. Sekhmet and Ansequia had gone outside, undoubtedly to find a secluded area where they could exchange more personable conversation. Rowen and Mia had brushed shoulders several time as everyone helped clear dishes from the table and he watched her as they cleaned up for the evening. When everything was set, the two exchanged a glance, and went outside to the porch.

"You haven't called in a while, Mia." Rowen said. Mia raised a brow, smiling.

"You should talk. You know I've been busy preparing for the coming school year, and you've got exams and graduation coming up soon, don't you?" Rowen frowned, then grinned. He'd traded his headband for a roguish look, although his face was still youthful. Three years had changed him a little and a lot. He had always been the more levelheaded and mature of the Ronin Warriors, and it had served him well enough in school. He would be graduating. Seiji was already a man grown, and had inherited shares of his father's automotive company. He and Mayu were planning a trip to Tahiti for the fall. Mia wondered if this meant Seiji was ready to settle down and have one steady girlfriend. Whatever Mayu was doing seemed to be working, so Mia stopped thinking about it.

"So what's been up? I know you're not so swamped with work when you've got a living history book schmoozing with Sekhmet and of course, the other Guardians who could probably tell you things we as a race don't even know." Mia hesitated, smiling.

"Ansequia is quirky, and she does not reveal much unless she chooses to. I wouldn't ask her to help me advance human history by several centuries, because she would refuse." Rowen gave her a look and Mia stopped stalling. "I've missed you, alright? It's just that…life's so hectic. I'm almost down to clearing my grandfather's debts, and I won't have to sell the house after all or take out a second mortgage. I've been stressed and Greyoko has finally decided to open up and live her life." She ran her fingers through her hair.

"And not to mention," she added, "that Sekhmet and Ansequia's sex life is interfering with my sleep." Rowen looked disturbed. He didn't want to think about what that woman and Sekhmet did behind closed doors. Mia chuckled.

"What about you? You hardly drop by to visit." Mia ran a fingertip over Rowen's arm, smiling when goosebumps appeared in its wake. Rowen took her hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss the fingertips.

"School, getting ready to be done with it. Thinking about you. Just got a new car, finally, and I'm going to be going to America soon." Mia paused.

"America? Why?" Rowen smiled.

"Internship at this tech company in California. I'm pretty sure they'll hire me, but if I don't go, I'll miss out. That's what I've been trying to figure out how to tell you all this time." Mia snatched her hand away.

"You mean figure out how to break up with me." She said sullenly. Rowen looked crestfallen.

"Mia can't you be happy for me? It's not as if I want us to be separated by an entire ocean, you know. This is a huge opportunity and this company is one the world has its eye on. Macintosh is boasting that in the next twenty years they'll be the most in-demand company for technology; I'm talking computers and everything. Mia why are you laughing?" Mia hid her face in her hands.

"God! You're so cute when you get excited Rowen, I can't help it." Rowen blinked and Mia threw her arms around his neck to kiss him.

"Of course I'm happy for you, you idiot. I just feel as if we're not ever going to get _us _off the ground if you leave." Rowen smiled.

"If you come with me, we can get 'us' off the ground and across the waters if that would make you happy." Mia looked back through the window. Greyoko and Yulie were playing a game, while the Ronins and other Guardians watched, occasionally breaking into laughter and chatter. Rowen followed her gaze and nodded.

"You know they're getting their own lives, now. Yulie's growing up well enough on his own, and the Guardians are adjusting to living on Earth really well."

"I know, but how will we come together and maintain our closeness if we're scattered around the globe, Rowen? And I can't leave my job or all the work that must be done to preserve everything I've built." Rowen stood up.

"Don't make a decision too fast, Mia. Just think about it. I don't leave until the spring; after my graduation. I hope you make the right choice." And with that, Rowen left. Mia watched him go, and felt a chill, so she went inside.

Sekhmet had finally cornered her, and Ansequia was furious.

"Why are you doing this, Ansequia?" He asked her, stroking her sweat-dampened hair. "Do you think this charade will absolve you of the past?" Ansequia sat up, looking down at him with her bronze long-lashed eyes, face slightly contorted in anger.

"Do you?" She shot back. When Sekhmet did not answer, she slapped his chest. "Gods! Sekhmet I was a prisoner in that tower for over a thousand years! Talpa kept me in a slumber but left me my senses. I knew everything that went on in that realm. I heard the lies he told about my betrayal. And I saw you did nothing to fight for me." Ansequia frowned.

"When I followed Kaos in his wanderings across the East, I learned that there was a better way to gain acceptance for what I was. I learned to stop apologizing for being the child of violence. I learned to forgive my mother for being a coward, and I learned to forgive myself. I had a lot to learn, and I learned a great deal more in that tower." Sekhmet look impassive at first, but he understood. Ansequia had gone rogue for a long while, following the monk that had been their sworn enemy, intrigued by his way of life—intrigued by _human _life. It was a struggle the other former Warlords continued to wage, this reclamation of their lost humanity. They knew Dayus' own had been drowned in cruelties brought on long before the Dynasty had taken him in, and he brooded more than any of the former villains. Cale had taken his own path.

And Sekhmet had chosen Ansequia. He had to. He had loved her from the girl-child she had been when they'd taken her, and loved her still. Somehow, amidst all the suffering and turmoil, she had found some inner peace and blended seamlessly with this new human world they lived in. She loved being a human, even though she was not one of them. She loved all the foibles of mortality, even though she would live longer than anyone of human descent.

"So you do not seek to absolve yourself."

"No one can absolve us, Sekhmet. We chose our own paths before, when we sided with Talpa. We chose again when we learned that Talpa was not the best alternative. And so long as we live, we will choose and choose again. That is the lesson Kaos taught me: that life is about the choices we make and the results of those choices are what make life both bitter and sweet." Ansequia sighed, sitting up a little more so that the rumpled bed sheets fell from her chest. She was slender as a willow, and yielded with just as much grace; but the scars that marred her flesh bore horrid memories of a time when Sekhmet could not save her. That too, had been her choice.

"Choices, hm?" He mused, his fingers splaying along the side of her ribcage, then to cup the lush weight of one breast. Ansequia smiled, then shut her eyes briefly as his thumb brushed one dusky nipple.

"Yes," she whispered, "and you have chosen, as I have." Sekhmet grinned, pulling her down to demonstrate the nature of his choice.

Afterward, they lay in companionable silence, with Ansequia content and Sekhmet learning what it meant to be that way. She slept and he lay awake, wondering if she had taken Kaos as a lover. It could not have been so, for the man was as stalwart in his duties as Talpa had been in his ambition, but Ansequia could be persuasive when she wanted to be. He doubted she had done so when in the past she had carried on torrid affairs with Dayus, Cale, and Anubis, and if rumor held true…sometimes all at once. He did not want to feel the bitter pang of jealousy, but he looked down at her. She had made her choice and she had chosen again, and this time her decision lay with him.

Life, in that moment, was sweet.

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

Talpa had been defeated for three years, but just because they—those accursed Ronins and their Guardians of Sukufan—had defeated one evil, did not mean they had defeated _all_ evil…and **she** was considerably worse than Talpa. Talpa had been foolish; throwing his entire plans into disarray for the armors those idiots wore. She had no such handicapped reliance on ancient relics. She had only the power to influence…and to fan the flames of evil already lurking inside the hearts of others. She did not covet their power; their suffering would suffice, and she could already see the weakened threads in their newfound cohesion beginning to fray in some places. She would not send minions in to do work she could easily do herself. All she needed to do was to use their very hearts against them, and she already saw one heart that yearned for her touch. Well, not hers, but someone lost to them.

_Do not fear, _she thought smugly, _I will be upon you all very soon._

"You can't tell me you're not interested in this stuff." Rowen was saying to a rather skeptical looking Netsui. Netsui, who had turned out to be the seeker of knowledge, did not find computers very interesting or fascinating—even daring to call them primitive in comparison to books.

"Thousands of bits of information is at your fingertips at light speed." Rowen implored but Netsui simply held up a book, licked her thumb, and turned a page.

"And so it is. I do not know how you humans could have invented this contraption before books. Books are so much faster; so much knowledge at the turn of a page, yes?" Netsui's voice took on that tone that meant she was already engrossed in something else; that something else was the book. Ryo smirked.

"Told you so." He said smugly. Rowen rolled his eyes. Computers were becoming the newest trend in the world at this time, and Rowen was heady with being at the forefront of the revolution. Mia had already ordered a new Macintosh computer for her household, and Rowen was trying to convince his friends that Macintosh was the way to go. Netsui, despite being an alien, was not interested in that part of human society. The other Guardians were mildly interested, but their interests lay strongly in the planet's diverse ecosystems and other trappings of human culture. Mayu had taken to studying the Shinto faith, and although Seiji leaned more toward Buddhism, he guided her to the library frequently. Tonyamii was learning various languages, and after three years amongst the Ronins had learned every swear word that could be dug up in the Japanese tongue and although her accent was thick, she commanded the difficult language was passing fair skill.

Raimei was tempted to become a world-renowned fighter, but Kento persuaded her to keep her skills in the battlefield between them and instead pushed her toward sports. She became a much feared individual in beach volleyball, and after the first month, injuries inflicted by her harsh servings were down to a minimum in the tournaments. When asked where she had received the scar, Kento surprisingly stepped in to direct the conversation to a more pleasant topic. Even he hadn't asked Raimei where she'd received the scar that marred the left side of her face, but he would one of these days.

The summer came and went, and with it, came the inevitable shift in the household. Rowen had graduated and alternated between traveling back and forth between Japan and California, and he was becoming quite the businessman. He and Mia kept up their tenuous relationship, having given up on keeping it secret a long time ago. In truth, everyone was surprised she hadn't wound up dating Ryo, but it turned out she just wasn't his type. Whatever Netsui was—because she remained inexplicably mysterious in public—was definitely his type, because he doted on her, despite his bad temper. The red-head was as cool as he was hot, and it was often said opposites attracted, and while Ryo loved the aggression of sports, when the mood called for it, the couple could often be seen curled up on Mia's porch swing, with Netsui's nose in a book and Ryo's head in her lap. A gentle rhythm had fallen over them all, as they got used to life without constantly being in the midst of a threat to humanity.

As fall paled into a beautiful Japanese winter in the countryside and pelted the metropolises with slushy snow, another surprise came. Mia had been eager to share the joy of Christmas with the Guardians, and had even taken the Sukufanians out to find a suitable tree. Much to Mia's chagrin, they insisted she pick out a large tree…much too large to fit in the house. After explaining to them that the tree had to be in the living room, they wasted no time. Mia watched, fascinated, as Ansequia shape-shifted to a creature she had never seen before—and never wanted to see again—and began to knock the tree over. Mayu, who was closer to the Earth's natural habitats now than she had been before, helped to smooth the tree's edges and softly blew on the pines, the snow that covered them dispersing like white dust.

"Well…okay…okay!" Mia said, still unable to comprehend how life on Sukufan must have been; no doubt filled with magic, but very confusing. They loaded the tree into Kento's truck and drove home. Once there, she asked their help in getting the decorations for the tree out of the attic. Greyoko marveled at the different colored ornaments and lights. Netsui casually rattled off the origin of the Christmas tree and the nature of presents, having poured over many books on the subject. Ansequia had never celebrated Christmas before, having never traveled far West into the Christian nations, so she was just as new to the tradition as the others.

"Alright, wind the lights around like this," Mia was saying as Tonyamii and Mayu helped wind the lights around the tree. "Okay, now plug them in—Raimei!" Raimei was holding the pronged plug for the lights and the lights shone brighter, to the awe of the Sukufanians. When she let go, they dimmed and went out. Mia took the prongs and plugged them in behind the tree. With the lights draped on the tree, she handed them each an ornament.

"Where are the Ronins?" Ansequia wondered as she admired her reflection in a silver ornament. Mia was kneeling and hooking ornaments at the bottom of the tree.

"No doubt doing some last-minute Christmas shopping." She joked. Ansequia blinked.

"Sekhmet doesn't even know what Christmas is. Why would he be out?" Mia smirked, and said nothing. Ansequia's eyes narrowed briefly, but she did not question Mia's smirk openly. They decorated the tree and Greyoko, being the youngest of the Sukufanians, was given the honor of placing the star atop the tree. She balanced precariously on a step ladder and hooked the star on the tip of the tree before she nearly fell backwards trying to climb down.

"If I had Ansequia's height, this wouldn't happen." She said sullenly, and Ansequia preened with no shame. She towered over the other women, even Raimei, whom Kento affectionately said could give Wonder Woman a run for her money. Once the tree was decorated, Mia went to retrieve the presents she had bought and place them under the tree. The women had gone Christmas shopping at her behest, a month in advance, and they were quite proud of their handiwork. The Ronins and others came home almost two hours later, grinning and trading jokes. Mia frowned. Rowen's flight should have landed by now, and she worried that maybe he'd gotten caught up with friends from his job. She silently chided herself for acting like a wife.

Ansequia badgered Sekhmet for what he had gotten her, but he refused to give in. She whined, pleaded, and he avoided her interrogation with something that looked like a smug smile. Giving up, she threatened to open it early.

"You can't do that!" Tonyamii cried; sea-colored eyes wide with genuine fear. "Santa Claus will punish us all if you do." To this, the Ronins burst into uncontrollable laughter. The Guardians looked puzzled.

"Santa Claus is not a real person, my dear," Sai said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. When he saw Tonyamii's skeptical expression he laughed harder. "I'm serious! Oh Tonya no one told you guys Santa Claus is just a fairy tale used to make kids behave this time of year." Tonya still looked skeptical, but she still insisted it must have been ill-luck to open the presents before the specified time, which was two days hence. The phone rang and Mia went into the kitchen to answer, away from the chatter and laughter.

"Mia," Rowen's voice breathed and Mia felt her heart flutter in her chest, "sorry, my flight got delayed due to the weather in Japan. I'll probably be in tomorrow evening at the latest." Mia was relieved that it wasn't something worse—like he was planning to break up with her. She smiled.

"Oh it's fine. The family's done all their Christmas shopping and decorating. I'm going to try and pull Mayu into the kitchen for recipes. She's got a knack for it, you know." Mia knew she was rambling. She was never very good at small talk, and she heard the tremor in her voice that came from nervousness. Rowen laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah? That's nice. What about you? How have you been? I feel like it's been ages since my last visit…time moves so fast." Mia smiled, leaning against the wall and twirling the phone cord around her finger not unlike a teenager.

"Oh I've been fine. It's been so nice having the girls here. They're quirky and good company. The guys take up a lot of their time sometimes, but I guess they're thankful to have an 'Earth woman' to show them the ropes on how to handle living on this planet. I guess if they met other women I'd be out of the job." She laughed again, glancing back where someone had brought out a deck of cards.

"That's good, Mia. And hey, don't sell yourself short. Better you were showing them the ropes than some fast hussy down the way, huh?" They both laughed. Rowen cleared his throat.

"Anyway Mia, I just wanted to call to give you a heads up. It's late over here, and I've gotta get some sleep before my flight. There's something I wanted to talk to you about once I got there—nothing bad!—just…I wanted to see you face to face for it." Mia was about to press for more answers but the line got disconnected and she sighed, her heart hammering, her stomach full of butterflies. It wasn't bad—that was reassuring, so what was it?

Greyoko had been volunteered to shovel snow out of the driveway that had seemingly accumulated just to annoy her. She muttered curses under her breath as she shoveled, but she couldn't begrudge Mia wanting to rest. It was her house, after all, and she was doing them all a favor by letting them all live in it. They'd come to consider themselves a family—tight-knit in some places, loose in others. The former Warlords visited on occasion, but because Dayus and Cale had no real connections to this world save Sekhmet and Ansequia, they aided Kayura in her role as Kaos' heir. As she shoveled snow, Greyoko heard the distinct chime that meant Kayura was approaching. She stopped shoveling, wiping sweat from her brow as Kayura emerged from the snow-covered forest like a specter, clad in luxurious robes, her hair left loose, her footsteps soundless, and looking every bit as regal as Greyoko wasn't in that moment. Dayus and Cale did not flank her as they usually did when she appeared, now, and she had a grave look about her. Greyoko knew that there was no good news to be had.

"What's this?" Kayura's voice was light and amused. "A princess doing menial tasks for the household?" Greyoko frowned, stabbing the shovel into the snow where it stood as she approached Kayura.

"Stow the witticisms, Kayura," Greyoko said shortly, "I take it you have no good news to offer me or the others on this joyously beautiful day?" The joyously beautiful day was a strong overcast, a crisp breeze whistling through the sleepy pine trees, and the threat of more snow hovering within the clouds' fat curves. Kayura did not look at all offended and instead, sighed.

"Let us go inside. This news I bring concerns all of you." She said simply, and Greyoko led her inside, where the others were marveling over eggnog, which Ansequia said 'tasted like dog piss; not that she had ever tasted that before'. She settled for hot cocoa instead. When they saw Kayura an ominous hush fell over the room. Kayura sighed. This would not end well.

"She comes with ill-tidings, of course," Greyoko said derisively, and went to sit down while Kayura stood, looking more out of place than any of the Sukufanians did at present, with her outdated clothing and that familiar and powerful staff clasped in one delicate hand.

"I am afraid she is right," Kayura affirmed and she saw a few slumped shoulders and continued, "I was scrying as usual and I think that you all will be needed to save humanity once more." This time she heard a few groans of displeasure.

"I am sorry," Kayura said, and she genuinely was, "but the evil that has been stirred is unlike anything you or I will ever face." Kayura pointed her staff and the orb at its end glowed like the sun, making the group shield their eyes before images began to flash before them like a silent film. There was a woman who seemed at once beautiful and terrifying, with snakes for hair and eyes as black as the First Darkness. Kayura looked grim.

"Who is she?" It was Ansequia who asked this question, and if she did not know, the others could not have known either.

"She is a goddess of the Western Realms," Kayura said. "She calls herself Angra Mainyu…and she has set her sights on destroying all of you."

The silence that fell over the room was as final as the fall of a guillotine's blade. Kayura saw different emotions storm across the faces of others. Sekhmet and Ansequia looked grim, but seemed resigned to this task Kayura had assigned them. The Ronins looked uncertain; they had nearly lost their lives trying to defeat Talpa—an evil born of this place, this country—now they were being told to fight the evil of another? It was too much, but they knew there was no one else who would, or else Angra Mainyu would not be here in the first place. Mia looked crestfallen, but she knew this was one adventure she could not participate in. Surprisingly, it was Mayu who spoke. She was sitting by Seiji, whose hand she held, their fingers interlacing in the Sukufan gesture of comfort between couples.

"Zoroastrianism," she said at last, "Angra Mainyu is the embodiment of evil, chaos, and discord in that faith, but is always depicted as a male entity. Why is it here? What could it possibly want in this place when there is so much discord elsewhere for it to feed upon?" She sounded thoughtful, but there was fear there. Mayu was the only one of the Sukufanians who had studied the theology of Earth's many religions in an effort to better understand what drove humans who were spiritually in sync with their world. Ansequia shook her head.

"Evil has never needed a reason to do what it wished. But this one should be obvious. We are the only forces capable of putting Angra Mainyu in her place. She knows this, and had Kayura not warned us, she might have launched a surprise attack to eliminate us."

"Ahura Mazda is the opposing force," Mayu countered, "he is the embodiment of light, goodness, and justice. Why has he not reined in his sibling?" Ansequia said nothing.

"It could be," said Kayura, "that he cannot." When all eyes turned to her, Kayura hesitated.

"There is only so much and so far that I can see. The only reason Angra Mainyu would be able to travel so far from her place of origin is if the opposing force that normally keeps her at bay was suddenly unable to oppose her."

"So you're saying we've got to go and restore a foreign god or we have to try and stop Angra Mainyu ourselves?" Ryo demanded. Kayura spread her hands in a gesture of uncertainty.

"It may be that you must do both, Ryo of Wildfire. But know this: Angra Mainyu is here, and she is looking for you. The cohesive bond you all have formed that makes you something of a family may be the strongest weapon you can wield against her in addition to your armors; that much, I can say with certainty, but I know very little of this goddess and those of the faith from which she comes. I will scry some more and return when I've new information to impart. Again, I am so sorry for this news, but you are the world's only hope against it being plunged into the evil this goddess brings." With that, Kayura departed; fading and leaving only the scent of cherry blossoms in her wake. The others absorbed the news with varying degrees of disappointment and grim determination. Mia looked forlornly at the Christmas tree, which blinked cheerfully with its lights and ornaments and five-rayed star. Presents of varying sizes sat arrayed at its base, and it looked like the perfect portrait of what the holiday was supposed to be like.

Suddenly, it did not seem so appropriate, and she wanted to unplug it.


	9. Sapientia

**Author's Note:** Fortitude, Temperance, Justice, Piety – those are the Four Cardinal Virtues, and I was inspired by Bayonetta of all things to name the chapters after them amongst other virtues that will be displayed in the chapters, some of which are the English-dubbed versions of the Ronins' own attributes for their armor. I hope you guys aren't upset about me inserting Zoroastrianism into the story. I thought it would be interesting to have the Ronins and Guardians venturing outside of Japanese folklore for their next adventure. I'm enjoying myself, how about you?

East of Toyama: Prudence

Christmas music played softly in the background, the sound of silverware and cutlery scraping against delicate China making evincing the heavy pall that had settled over the group assembled even more. The Ronins looked stone faced, the Guardians looked grim and reluctant, and Mia looked torn between trying to convince them not to go through with the mission recently bequeathed to them, and trying to highlight the positive side of this ruined holiday: they were alive and together before this mission were to commence. Occasionally, she looked at Rowen, who was still in his suit, and he looked as if the food tasted bad, but she knew that wasn't what bothered him. Of all the Ronins, Rowen had put their armor-wearing days furthest behind him. He had a job in a very nice company, he was making a name for himself and living a normal, healthy life…and he was dating a woman he loved, only for someone from those armor-wearing days to come and tell him that he wasn't done being Rowen of the Strata. Mia looked sullenly at her plate, where she picked at her food.

"We can't let this ruin our holiday," she said, and everyone looked at her, then refused to meet her eyes. Mia dropped her fork and knife. "We _cannot_ let this ruin our holiday!" She said louder, and then rose to her feet.

"God, can't you see? This is exactly the kind of thing that—that Angra whatever wants to happen. If we face this problem filled with all this doubt, resentment, fear, and reluctance, we're going to lose." Greyoko glared at her.

"Easy for you to say; you're not going to be the one who has to face down an evil goddess who could blight the world with its own flaws." She said rather contemptuously. Rowen stopped eating.

"Oh and who says we're going through with this?" Everyone paused, and Rowen looked exasperated, and he slammed his fist down on the table in a rare display of frustration.

"This isn't our fight," he said defiantly, "this isn't our war. Let the people born to fight this battle do their job. We've done our part, we're done with that. We defeated the Dynasty, just as we were meant to. There's nothing that says we've got to face down every God, Allah, and Satan for the rest of the world." Silence followed his words, and Mia could see that some of them were considering Rowen's words and reconsidering their decision to fight against this newest threat.

"You have a point, Strata," Ansequia said quietly, and Rowen winced when she called him by his armor's name—just as she meant him to, "but whether we decide to fight or not does not mean Angra Mainyu will sit and wait for good to gather its forces." Rowen looked contemptuously at her.

"Well you were a big shot in the Dynasty, Ansequia, why don't you go kick Angra Mainyu's ass and save us the trouble of having to go through this bullshit all over again? Isn't that why Talpa locked you away? So you couldn't come and destroy him?" Ansequia did not flinch despite the keen edge of cruelty he made of his words. She canted her head a fraction and smiled her demon's smile.

"No. He locked me away because I had been infected with the one thing that could win against him: hope. Kaos showed me an alternative to what harm I caused this world and others. Anubis took his place and in turn showed his fellows that there was a better way. I am no more powerful than Kayura, and perhaps less so." That surprised a few at the table. Ansequia had been talked about as if she were a destructive force that was unrivaled in this or any world, and she had just freely admitted that she was just as knee-deep in the mire as the rest of them. She was no less afraid of this evil that threatened the prosperity she had found after being freed from a seemingly lesser evil.

"If we don't fight, who will?" Ryo asked, which was the one question Rowen could not answer. In the past, it had been Ryo who had led them, but this was a new force that encroached upon them, one they knew precious little about. The only one who knew anything about Angra Mainyu was Mayu, and that was sheer luck on her part. What she knew, she had shared, and it was still not enough.

"What about this Ahura Mazda?" Raimei demanded. "Should we not seek him out? It is his sibling that poses this problem; should we not find him and have him deal with it?" There were murmurs of agreement. Rowen was quiet. Mia reached over to put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Rowen…if you don't want to do this, no one will hold it against you. We're all scared, but if ever the world needed you, it's now." Rowen looked defeated, slightly older than his twenty-something odd years belied. Mia felt pity for him. He had tried harder than all of them to resume the normal pace of his life, and now he had to decide to tear it all down to save the world.

"I can't give the Strata armor to someone else," he said quietly. "I can't let someone else carry that burden." Mia smiled at him.

"So, does that mean we will be traveling to Persia?" Mayu asked. Mia swallowed hard. Travel would be easy, with Ansequia's abilities to open rifts in the world to travel between the Netherworld and the mortal world, and gods knew where else, not to mention Kayura's guidance. Where the Ronins had to fight, Kayura was obligated by her duties as a guardian of the mystical armors to be by their side when they needed her.

"Only if it is necessary," Greyoko said, "we can't just leave home undefended while we go investigate the origin of this threat." She paused, realizing with a rare pleasure that she had come to think of this world as her home, and therefore it was worth her life to protect. Mia caught on where the others did not and the two shared a knowing smile.

"Perhaps we should divide our forces," Sekhmet suggested, "the Ronins could stay here and defend home…and the Guardians could investigate Persia." Beneath the table, his hand tightened on Ansequia's. He had just gotten her back and he was risking losing her again. Ansequia looked grim.

"Perhaps that would be best. At least here, the Inferno Armor would be at its most potent with all nine armors gathered. I will go with the Guardians to Persia." She and Sekhmet shared a brief glance. It would be hard, this separation, no harder for them than it was for the others. Seiji placed his hand on Mayu's thigh. She gave him a reassuring smile, serpent eyes blinking in a way that had once freaked him out, but now seemed almost endearing—if a bit strange.

"Then it's decided," Greyoko said finally as she watched each pair accept that they would be parted for a time. "We divide our forces and cover more ground."

"How are we going to communicate with each other?" Mia wondered aloud. Greyoko blinked. It had not occurred to her that they had no means of expedient long-distance communication. She was not sure how phones worked in other countries.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Ryo said, "right now we need to be planning, and then we need to be looking for any signs that the threat is already here." Mia rubbed her face with her hands.

"Wait." She said as she saw everyone making ready to leave the table. "Please, it's Christmas Eve, and I really don't think you should all be rushing headlong into battle without celebrating; especially if it might be your last. Can we just enjoy this holiday? It's all I ask." Everyone exchanged a glance. There was a reluctant murmur of consent, even though the impending struggle weighed on everyone's minds. Mia's only request was that they enjoy themselves before they go, so at least they could remember what it was they were fighting for; so they remembered what it was they were coming home to. It lifted their spirits a little to celebrate, even though no one could shake the pall that had settled over their moods. Everyone had gone into their warrior's contemplation, until they began to grow tired and paired off, leaving to enjoy more intimate moments together. It left Greyoko alone by the fire, holding a half-finished cup of cocoa. Sekhmet and Ansequia would likely spend the night awake knowing that they would soon be parted.

She had no such worries.

Greyoko sipped her cocoa with a bitter look on her face. It would pain her to be parted from friends and comrades-at-arms, but she had no lover to tug at her heartstrings. Three years was a long time, but whomever said time healed all wounds had been delusional, or had simply not cared enough for the wound to cut deeply.

"You promised." She whispered into her steaming mug. "You promised and you left me here." She was glad that her friends and sisters were reluctant to be parted from their paramours. If anything were to happen to one of the Ronins or to Sekhmet—she found with horror that there was a growing sense of profound Schadenfreude in her heart. She wanted them to feel the pain she felt. And Mia…ugh Goddess, Mia would not be parted from Rowen over long distances. She would see him whenever he deigned fit to return to recuperate, along with the other Ronins.

Her resentment began to grow.

She heard a large thud upstairs and a shout of laughter, and she sank further within that dark place that was growing inside of her.

The next morning, everyone was in the living room, exchanging presents and laughter, trying their best to enjoy what might have been their last Christmas together if things did not go well for the heroes. Mia was first, and she gave Rowen a matching set of luggage bags by some expensive designer.

"So you can stop hauling that duffle bag like you're some kind of homeward bound soldier." She chided playfully. Rowen kissed her cheek, admiring the fine material.

"I'm a Ronin Warrior, though," he countered, "so in a way…" Mia kissed him to shut him up. Netsui had gotten Ryo a surfboard, which she claimed she had altered because whomever designed it had not thought to maximize the full potential of a pipeline wave. It even had the insignia of his Wildfire armor on its body, and Ryo loved it. Netsui smiled smugly, pleased with her own genius. Ryo had gotten Netsui a box of fireworks, which she had hinted that she wanted some months before. He'd had an easier time shopping for her last minute than his friends did, since her present was so simple.

Mayu demurely stated that she had given Seiji his Christmas present the night before, and passed him another—a small box which contained an elegant silver watch. Whatever his actual present had been remained only between the two, but no one had to guess that it had been nothing short of illicit. Seiji had gotten her a lovely dress to compliment her sun-browned skin, along with matching lingerie which looked more racy than Mia was comfortable with. Mayu smirked, admiring the lace and satin bra and panty set.

Tonyamii claimed that she had not been able to get Sai a real present because Mia said what she had wanted to do was illegal. He'd gotten her a ring with a faceted aquamarine stone held in place with two dolphins, which she adored.

"You wanted to _what_?" Sai asked, wide-eyed. Tonyamii looked offended.

"I wanted to give you Private Island, and before I could sink it and bring it closer, Mia said no. So I got you this." She passed him a box, which he unwrapped, looking up at Tonyamii with startled eyes. He withdrew a small cylinder, which quickly opened into a trident…an actual trident.

"Gift from home." Tonyamii explained. Sai blushed, leaning in to kiss her.

"Were you really going to sink an island and bring it to me?" He whispered. She smiled, not answering. Sai sighed. "You are so weird." He said, but it was affectionate.

Raimei had gotten Kento a new truck, to which she tossed him the keys. When asked how she had been able to afford it, Raimei simply grinned and suddenly Kento would rather not have known how she'd made it off the lot. He'd gotten her a pair of boxing gloves, and after explaining that this would allow her to punch her opponents without severely hurting them, Raimei was eager to give the gloves a test run on someone's face. No one volunteered, much to her chagrin.

Sekhmet had gotten Ansequia something very expensive-looking and elegant—and clearly from the Netherworld.

"Not fair…" Kento muttered. Ansequia delighted in the way the gown dipped low in the front, and the back. When worn it would show off her well-sculpted back, all the way down to the dimples at the base, and it would hug her like a second skin. Embroidered on the shimmering black material were entwining serpents and she showered Sekhmet with kisses, who smiled slyly. Ansequia had commissioned a suit tailored for him, and implored he try it on immediately. He cut such a fine figure that Ansequia excused them both from the room to drag him upstairs. Mia smiled. Greyoko had not come downstairs yet, and they all asked after her, but she wasn't in the house either.

Rowen cleared his throat. "Mia, I forgot to give you your gift." Mia looked up at him. Rowen stood up and went into the kitchen, when he returned he was hiding something behind his back. The other Ronins were smiling. Rowen knelt down on one knee and Mia almost fainted dead.

"Mia, I don't think I have a speech prepped for this…and I thought this ring would say it for me, but really it doesn't say enough." Mia had tears in her eyes, her lower lip quivering from the emotion. Rowen swallowed hard, near to tears himself.

"So with that said, I only want to ask you to marry me." And at that point Mia did faint.

Greyoko had purposely left the house earlier that morning so she wouldn't have to sit through the romantic exchanges her friends would be engaged in. She had not been in a festive mood, and since last night, she had not been able to get any sleep. Between Ansequia and Sekhmet's antics, and her own troubled thoughts, Greyoko had wandered the house like a bitter wraith, and had watched television until her eyes strained. She had slept two hours the entire night, and when dawn began to creep into the windows, she had left altogether to the only place where she could find solace.

Anubis' grave was unmarked, but she knew where it was—would always know. She sat beneath the tree on the stone that was cold from the winter chill, and sank her boots into the snow. She never talked at Anubis' grave, which she visited at least once a year since she had buried him. She merely sat, and listened.

_Greyoko…_

The whisper of her name could have been the wind, and for a moment, Greyoko thought just that. She continued to look out over the morning-struck countryside, counting the minutes until she and the Guardians would depart for Persia. She felt that bitterness well up in her again.

_Greyoko!_

The whisper was louder now, and it sounded anguished. Greyoko stood, looking around.

"If this is some sort of joke, I have yet to see the punchline. Show yourself!" She said fiercely. For some reason she was eager for an enemy; someone she could hit…someone to which she could guide all the blame for her bitterness.

The wind picked up, whipping her hair around her face and into her eyes. When she pushed her hair back behind her ears and reached into her pocket for her hat, cramming it over her head, she saw the wind take _shape_…and it wore his face.

"Anubis…?" She whispered, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. The wind died down and the face was gone, and she wasn't sure she was imagining things. Not sticking around to find out, she went home.

As the day wore on, the pall that had temporarily lifted returned; and it coincided with Kayura's arrival.

"Thank the gods you haven't left yet." She breathed as Mia invited her inside. Even now, amidst so much bad news, Mia looked happily down at her left hand where as simple golden band held a faceted diamond. Rowen knew her better than anyone, now, and simplicity had always been Mia's style. So what if the ring had cost him so much? It was simple and elegant and was attached to one of the happiest memories of her adult life. She offered Kayura tea or cocoa, and the woman declined both, deigning instead to gather the assembled warriors into the living room. Cale and Dayus had accompanied her, wearing modern clothing, which seemed odd despite them having grown used to seeing their old foes become allies.

"It is my belief that you mean to divide your forces," Kayura began and her face was serious, "I implore you not to do this thing. If ever you were needed as a combined force, it is now. Angra Mainyu has taken up residence in Talpa's old castle in the Netherworld." She paused, hearing the collective gasp and seeing the expressions of the Ronins, who had no desire to visit that place ever again if they could help it.

"I'm sorry," Kento interjected, "but what the _fuck_? Why why _why _do we have to go back to the Netherworld?" Kayura looked impassive.

"I cannot say why Angra Mainyu has decided to make that his base of operations, but know this…if you want to strike, you have to do it soon and fast before he can gather up enough forces to sweep over this land and perhaps even the world. Already the City of Dreams has become a City of Nightmares. The Netherworld has become a barren wasteland and if Angra Mainyu continues, he will upset the delicate balance of this place."

"Wait, upset the balance?" Ryo asked. "How so?"

"Angra Mainyu is a god of his place," It was Dayus who spoke, his tone grave, "and this is not his place. Japan has its own pantheon, and the Netherworld plays a large role in it. Angra Mainyu must be banished back to his country of origin or he will upset the balance of the pantheon, and possibly destroy it altogether."

This was met with silence as the group absorbed the news. Cale frowned.

"Do not waste time trying to understand it," he said curtly, "just know that when gods decide to wage war, that it is dangerous for all of us as mortals. We must banish Angra Mainyu before he has a chance to cause anymore damage." Those were sobering words from a man of so few, and Ansequia nodded.

"So if you all are done celebrating," Kayura said primly, "perhaps we can get moving."

Greyoko smiled with grim satisfaction.

While the group did not have to separate at Kayura's behest, going to the Netherworld did not mean they could not be parted. When Kayura and Ansequia summoned the gate—which was above the lake in front of Mia's house—they all looked as if something bad turned in their stomachs. Each of them had memories from the Netherworld they wished to forget. None was worse than the other, but there were varying degrees of pain attached to them. For Greyoko, she would have rather spent the rest of her life in solitude, but now she stood before the gate, shoulder to shoulder with men and women who had fought by her side, but it had been three years since they had faced a threat of this magnitude.

She wasn't sure she could stand to lose another comrade in another battle. She glanced sidelong at Kayura, with sweat perspiring on her brow at the effort of holding the bridge between the worlds with Ansequia. They passed through it, forgetting how much it drained them as the gates creaked closed behind them, and finally slammed shut with such finality, they knew there was no turning back.


End file.
